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Ambient assisted living (AAL) technology is of considerable interest in supporting the independence and quality of life of older adults. As such, it is a core focus of the emerging field of gerontechnology, which considers how technological innovation can aid health and well-being in older age. For this scoping review, a comprehensive search of databases and key journals was conducted from January to April of 2013 in order to identify AAL technologies that have the potential to help deal with some of the challenges associated with aging. In particular, we focused on technologies that could potentially be used by people living with some degree of cognitive impairment, ranging from normal cognitive aging to mild cognitive impairment up to earlier stages of dementia. Options currently available and those still under development were both included in our search. Fifty-nine technologies were identified and are outlined here, along with a discussion of history of AAL from a gerontological perspective and related theoretical considerations.

We developed a bedsore-prevention mattress and wheel chair cushion. Throughout development, we made numerous body pressure measurements on different mattresses and cushions. Such measurements required much time and effort. Simulation of body pressure has the potential to estimate the pressure distribution caused by physical parameters of different mattresses. In this study, we show attempts to model the body and estimate the pressure on its transverse plane. The computation was based on a non-linear finite element method with hyperelastic materials, such as muscle, skin and fat. Because the model simulates different tissues, we can estimate the pressure not only on the surface, but also that inside the trunk. The simulated results agreed well with actual pressure measurement results. Differences in physical properties of the mattresses were also modeled.

The emerging wearable medical devices open up new opportunities for the provision of health services and promise to accelerate the development of novel telemedical services. The main objective of this study was to investigate the desirable features and applications of telemedical services for the Polish older adults delivered by wearable medical devices. The questionnaire study was conducted among 146 adult volunteers in two cohorts (C.1: n = 77; mean age = 32 vs. C.2: n = 69; mean age = 74). The performed survey showed that the majority of respondents were unaware of the telemedical services (56.8%). A total of 62.3% of C.1 and 34.8% of C.2 declared their understanding of telemedical services. The 10.3% of correct explanations regarding telemedical service were found among all study participants. The most desirable feature was the detection of life-threatening and health-threatening situations (65.2% vs. 66.2%). The findings suggest a lack of awareness of telemedical services and the opportunities offered by wearable telemedical devices.

This article contributes to the discussion on the materiality of age and aging in this special issue by presenting a case that illustrates how nursing students are trained to shape gerontechnologies in ways that have sociopolitical consequences for older adults with dementia who are aging at home. Drawing on ethnographical fieldwork and grounded theory, I deliberately stage a dialog between STS theory on technology, and relational approaches to the social study of dementia in an analysis of a lecture where master students in a university nursing program learn about gerontechnology and dementia. I identify inability to purposively use technology, recalcitrance, and attentiveness as three problematic behaviors that are described as typical for older adults with dementia who are aging at home, and selection and placement of gerontechnologies as two ways in which the nursing students are taught to delimit this behavior by material means. I show how selection and placement of gerontechnologies are means by which care professionals shape gerontechnologies in ways that can disempower older adults who are aging at home, and I show how the educators draw on a biomedical understanding of dementia to accomplish a link between disempowering, and caring for older adults with dementia. I argue that care professionals practices of shaping gerontechnologies can be understood as empirical sites where care professionals exercise power over older adults with dementia who are aging at home by sociomaterial means. I conclude that there is a continued need for studies of gerontechnologies that stage analytical dialogs between STS theory and understandings from other fields with longer traditions of studying processes of aging, to further elucidate how gerontechnologies can matter to older adults and the experience of aging.

Ya-Huei Wu,1,2 Souad Damnée,1,2 Hélène Kerhervé,1,2 Caitlin Ware,1,3 Anne-Sophie Rigaud1,2 1Department of Clinical Gerontology, Broca Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 2Research Team 4468, Paris Descartes University, 3Centre de Recherche en Psychanalyse, Médicine et la Société, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France Purpose: In a society where technology progresses at an exponential rate, older adults are often unaware of the existence of different kinds of information and communication technologies (ICTs). To bridge the gap, we launched a 2-year project, during which we conducted focus groups (FGs) with demonstrations of ICTs, allowing older adults to try them out and to share their opinions. This study aimed at investigating how participants perceived this kind of initiative and how they reacted to different kinds of ICTs.Patients and methods: In total, 14 FGs were conducted with community-dwelling older adults, with a frequency of two FGs on the same topic once per trimester. Twenty-three older adults (four men and 19 women) attended at least one FG but only nearly half of them were regular attendants (ten participating in at least five sessions). Age of participants ranged from 63 years to 88 years, with a mean of 77.1 years. All of them had completed secondary education. The analyses of the data were performed according to inductive thematic analysis.Results: Four overarching themes emerged from the analysis. The first concerned participants’ motivation for and assessment of the project. The second theme identified the underlying factors of the “digital divide” between the younger and the older generations. The third theme concerned the factors of technology adoption among older adults. The fourth one identified participants’ attitudes toward assistive ICTs, designed specifically for older adults (“gerontechnologies”).Discussions and conclusion: This project encouraging older adults to be informed about different kinds of ICTs was positively rated. With regard to ICTs, participants perceived a digital divide. The underlying factors are generation/cohort effects, cognitive and physical decline related to aging, and negative attitudes toward technologies. However, more and more older adults adopt different kinds of ICTs in order to fit in with the society. Concerning assistive ICTs, they manifested a lack of perceived need and usefulness. Also, there was a negative image of end users of this kind of technologies. The so-called gerontechnologies specifically targeting older adults contain stigmatizing symbolism that might prevent them from adopting them. Keywords: assistive technologies, attitude, digital divide, gerontechnology, technology adoption, technology acceptance

Background: The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained significant attention due to advancements in technology and has potential applications in meeting the needs of an aging population. Smart technologies, a subset of IoT, can support older adults in aging in place, promoting independent living and improving their quality of life. However, there is a lack of research on how older adults and smart technologies coadapt over time to maximize their benefits and sustain adoption., Objective: We will aim to comprehensively review and analyze the existing scientific literature pertaining to the coadaptation between smart technologies and older adults. The primary focus will be to investigate the extent and nature of this coadaptation process and explore how older adults and technology coevolve over time to enhance older adults' experience with technology., Methods: This scoping review will follow the methodology outlined in the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer's Manual and adhere to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines for reporting. Peer-reviewed articles will be searched in databases like Ovid MEDLINE, OVID Embase, PEDro, OVID PsycINFO, EBSCO CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and Global Index Medicus. The research team will create a data extraction form covering study characteristics, participant characteristics, underlying models and frameworks, research findings, implications for technology coadaptation, and any identified study limitations. A directed content analysis approach will be used, incorporating the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation framework and Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus theoretical framework., Results: The results of this study are expected in January 2024., Conclusions: This scoping review endeavors to present a thorough overview of the available evidence concerning how smart technologies interact with older adults over an extended period. The insights gained from this review will lay the groundwork for a research program that explores how older adults adapt to and use smart technologies throughout their lives, ultimately leading to improved user satisfaction and experience and facilitating aging in place with tailored support and user-centered design principles., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/51129., (©Kristina Marie Kokorelias, Alisa Grigorovich, Maurita T Harris, Umair Rehman, Louise Ritchie, AnneMarie Levy, Kerstin Denecke, Josephine McMurray. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 09.10.2023.)

Recently, the interest of industry, government agencies and healthcare professionals in technology for aging people has increased. The challenge is whether technology may play a role in enhancing independence and quality of life and in reducing individual and societal costs of caring. Information and communication technologies, i.e. tools aimed at communicating and informing, assistive technologies designed to maintain older peoples' independence and increasing safety, and human–computer interaction technologies for supporting older people with motility and cognitive impairments as humanoid robots, exoskeletons, rehabilitation robots, service robots and companion-type are interdisciplinary topics both in research and in clinical practice. The most promising clinical applications of technologies are housing and safety to guarantee older people remaining in their own homes and communities, mobility and rehabilitation to improve mobility and gait and communication and quality of life by reducing isolation, improve management of medications and transportation. Many factors impair a broad use of technology in older age, including psychosocial and ethical issues, costs and fear of losing human interaction. A substantial lack of appropriate clinical trials to establish the clinical role of technologies to improve physical or cognitive performances and/or quality of life of subjects and their caregivers may suggest that the classical biomedical research model may not be the optimal choice to evaluate technologies in older people. In conclusion, successful technology development requires a great effort in interdisciplinary collaboration to integrate technologies into the existing health and social service systems with the aim to fit into the older adults' everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Information and communicative technology (ICT) use is a potential vehicle for improving the psychological well-being (PWB) of older people. We examined the roles of age, frailty, and social connectedness in the relationship between ICT use and PWB. Method: Telephone interviews were conducted in mid-2016 with 1201 participants aged 50 and above (55.7% female) residing in Hong Kong, China. The participants reported PWB, ICT use (frequency of using the Internet and smart devices), frailty status, contact with family, friends, and neighbors, self-rated health, subjective financial sufficiency, education level, and employment status. Results: We found that the association between ICT and PWB was moderated by age: ICT was associated with PWB only among old-olds (75+), but not in other age groups. This moderation was mediated by contact with family, but not with friends or neighbors. The moderation was further qualified by frailty status: the ICT-by-age moderation was found only among frail, but not pre-frail or robust older adults. Conclusion: The findings suggest that ICT use can potentially enhance the PWB of older adults aged 75+ through facilitating their contact with family members. These benefits might be particularly salient for those who were frail. Improving ICT access and literacy among older adults may be promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New technologies, such as serious games and ambient activities, are being developed to address problems of under-stimulation, anxiety, and agitation in millions of people living with dementia in long term care homes. Frequent interactions with instrumented versions of these technologies may not only be beneficial for long term care residents, but may also provide a valuable new set of multifaceted data related to the health status of residents over time. In this paper, we develop a model for health monitoring in healthcare environments and we report on two studies that show how medically relevant data can be collected from elderly residents and emergency department patients in an unobtrusive way. The first study shows how data related to cognitive abilities can be collected from elderly emergency department patients and the second study shows how detailed data on a range of factors can be collected from ambient activity units designed to provide engaging interactions for long term care residents. In summary, this paper proposes the use of new technologies to transform long term care from a data poor to a data rich environment, where the health status of long term care residents and elderly patients is more closely monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation infrastructure is a critical component to a nation’s economy, security, and wellbeing. In order to keep up with the rising population, there is a great need for more efficient and cost-effective technologies and techniques to not only repair the infrastructure, but also to advance and expand the transportation infrastructure to sustain the growing population. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been widely adopted in the building industry, and its established methods and technologies show enormous potential in benefiting the transportation industry. The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review and critical analysis of BIM for transportation infrastructure. A total of 189 publications in the area of BIM for transportation infrastructure were reviewed, including journal articles, conference proceedings, and published reports. Additionally, schemas and file formats from 9 main categories and 34 areas related to transportation infrastructure were reviewed. An application was developed to collect, store, and analyze the publications. Various algorithms were developed and implemented to help in the automation and analysis of the review. The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date literature review and critical analysis of research areas regarding BIM for transportation infrastructure to further facilitate research and applications in this domain. Based on the results of the analysis, current topics and trends, applications and uses, emerging technologies, benefits, challenges and limitations, research gaps, and future needs are discussed. Significantly, the contribution of this paper is providing the foundation of current research, gaps, and emerging technologies needed to facilitate further research and applications for both academia and industry stakeholders to develop more efficient and cost-effective techniques necessary to repair, advance, and expand the transportation infrastructure. Furthermore, the results show that the use of BIM for transportation infrastructure has been increasing, although the research has mainly been focusing on roads, highways, and bridges. The results also reveal a major need for a standard neutral exchange format and schema to promote interoperability. Most importantly, the continuing collaboration between academia and industry is required to mitigate most challenges and to realize the full potential of BIM for transportation infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SDU Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design / Mühendislik Bilimleri ve Tasarım Dergisi is the property of Journal of Engineering Sciences & Design and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background/Objectives: For S&T to resolve challenges caused by population aging, multidisciplinary approach is needed. However, yet, there is lack of studies on how the convergence technology has been structured. Methods/Statistical analysis: To analyze the structure of convergence technology for population aging, this paper conducted social network analysis based on National S&T Standard Classification System of national R&D projects in Korea. Assuming that each type of research performers conducts convergence research differently, this paper analyzed and compared the structures of the performers. For the analysis, this paper used information on national R&D projects related to population aging, conducted between 2007 and 2015. Findings: According to the result, each type of research performers had different aspects of convergence research. The similar aspects of the three researcher performers are that 'medical treatment' and 'life science' integrated the most with other technology. Also, they all had society-related S&T domains as one of the essential domains facilitating convergence technology. Universities conducted convergence research the most and corresponded to the distinctive aspects of R&D for solving social challenges. As the most proportion of enterprises are small and medium enterprises, their convergence research showed less convergence occurred when comparing to others. Although research institutes performed R&D less than universities, S&T was most actively converged. Improvements/Applications: By empirically analyzing the structure of convergence technology, it is expected to give an insight that convergence research for population aging needs integration between disciplines related to S&T and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction Functional decline has been observed three to six months after a minor injury in previously independent older adults. Physical activity interventions are effective to prevent this decline but most of those older adults are not active. In fact, home-based and community-based exercise program present barriers for this population (e.g. lack of supervision, transport and predetermined schedule. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of a home-based physical activity intervention using gerontechnology in older adults who sustained minor injuries by comparing it to a traditional community-based group intervention. Method 48 previously independent individuals, aged 65 and older, discharged back home after consulting an Emergency Department to treat minor injuries were randomized into three groups 1) home-based exercise program using gerontechnology (HEPtech = 18) 2) supervised group community-based exercise program (YMCA = 16) or 3) control group (CONT = 12). Functional capacities and other physical outcomes were compared across groups after three months of intervention. Results Both intervention groups showed improved functional capacities (e.g. SPPB, Walking speed, Balance) after three months of physical activity intervention compared to control group who only maintain theirs. Conclusion This new home-based exercise intervention using gerontechnology could be a good alternative for health professionals who wish to help their older adults patients with minor injuries engage in exercise program in order to prevent functional losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to identify key determinants of effective implementation of innovations in respect to assisted living ecosystems for the elderly. Desk-study as a method was used and EBSCO (including Medline), ScienceDirect, Open Knowledge Repository, and BazEkon databases were researched. The scope of ageing and its key economic and social consequences are portrayed at the beginning. Then main categories of seniors' needs are presented. Consequently the main ways innovations and new technologies can respond to these needs are identified accompanied by senior citizens' particular attitude toward new technologies, especially ICT. Then Gerontechnology is presented not only as an important social innovation, but also as a leverage for more effective implementation of innovations and modern technologies in active and assisted living for seniors. The article ends with identification of three key success factors for effective implementation of innovations and new technologies by independently living seniors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerontechnology is a new cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary field dedicated to implementation of novel technologies in order to meet the complex needs of daily life of older people. It becomes more and more important due to the phenomenon of demographic aging that is present in Romania too. Various methods of adapting environment and assisting older people in order to help them remain as long as possible in their own homes are presented. These methods are based on information and communication technologies in order to create a safer and better-equipped home according to the needs of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel ecosystem to promote the physical, emotional and psychic health and well-being of the elderly is presented. Our proposal was designed to add several services developed to meet the needs of the senior population, namely services to improve social inclusion and increase contribution to society. Moreover, the solution monitors the vital signs of elderly individuals, as well as environmental parameters and behavior patterns, in order to seek eminent danger situations and predict potential hazardous issues, acting in accordance with the various alert levels specified for each individual. The platform was tested by seniors in a real scenario. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed ecosystem was well accepted and is easy to use by seniors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a globally ageing society, information and communication technologies (ICT) have a significant social potential for improving the quality of life of older people and maintaining the balance of the entire society. However, the impact of ICT is not as high as expected from this perspective. The article analyses the ICT usage among elderly Romanian individuals. While most sophisticate explanations regarding the low ICT adoption look towards computer anxiety, cognitive impairment and lack of knowledge, it seems that in Romania the main obstacle regarding ICT adoption still remains the basic one: no access. Scientific literature emphasizes the benefits of ICT for older people in terms of lower costs of healthcare assistance, reducing isolation and higher security regarding health risks and accidents. However, within the elderly Romanian population, people with low income, who live alone and have health issues are the less probable to use ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article shows how sociomaterial practices of ordering temporality can become part of labor and workers identities, when homecare workers who work with 'time-saving' technology experience a lack of sufficient time to do their work. The article offers the concept 'time labour' to describe this practice, and defines it as homecare workers methods of saving time, by cutting visits to care recipients as short as possible, and by using technology to strategically produce and maintain quantitative representations of themselves as skilled workers. The term time labor conceptualizes these methods as sociomaterial enactments of temporality that are an intrinsic part of the workers ability to perform that work as well as their ability to produce and maintain a professional identity. The article argues that the role of technology is never predictable, but always emerges in use, and suggests a turn toward domestication theory in practice theoretical studies of work with technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an automatic workflow framed in a gerontechnology solution, as part of the Active and Assisted Living (AAL) platform in Mobile@Old project. Our solution aims to increase or preserve cognitive functions, to track medication and coordinate physical activity through an exercising game (exergame). The exergame is customized according to each elderly person's reactions and specificities. The workflow involves doctors, physiotherapists, the elderly person and their caregivers, in an ecosystem designed to ensure well-being and independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although benefits of leisure and benefits of technology use overlap, how older adults use and perceive of technology use during their leisure time is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to explore e-leisure among older adults. This international exploratory study included 37 rural and urban-dwelling participants from Canada and the United Kingdom. Focus groups were facilitated to better understand participants' perceptions of technology in later life. Data were analyzed using open and focused coding. Participants reported accessing leisure through technology, such as keeping in touch, engaging in games and hobbies, and supplementing offline leisure. Participants reported several drawbacks, including difficulty getting assistance from other people, challenges using and updating software, concerns related to privacy and security, and lack of confidence and interest. While technology appears to facilitate engagement in leisure for older adults, educational opportunities may be required to overcome the drawbacks of technology use. Implications for therapeutic recreation are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Aula (0214-3402) is the property of Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Context: Several studies have demonstrated that physical activity can help limit decline in functional capacities of older adults. Nevertheless, many adults aged 65 and over are inactive.Objective: To explore the feasibility, the acceptability and the effects of a home-based exercise program (HEP) using a motion capture gerontechnology in independent community-living older adults at risk of function decline.Design: Interventionnal clinical trial.Participants: Sixteen previously independent individuals aged 65 and older recruited at the Emergency Department after being treated for a minor injury and discharged home were assigned to a home-based exercise program group (HEP=8) or to a control group (CONTR=8). Twelve participants completed the study, 6 in each groupSetting: Canadian Community-dwelling in Montreal area.Intervention: The HEP group engaged in a twelve-week physical activity intervention using a gerontechnology while the CONTR group continued with discharge plan from ED.Measurements: Participants were evaluated for functional status using validated questionnaires and objective physical measures at baseline, three and six months later. Feasibility and acceptability of the HEP was assessed using data reports from the gerontechnology and from self-reported assessments.Results: There was no differences between groups at baseline except for the fallrelated self-efficacy: HEP=8.33/28±1.51 vs CONTR=7/28±0 p=0.022. The HEP was found to be feasible and acceptable (adherence rate at 86% and average quality of movements at 87.5%). Significant improvement in walking speed on 4m was observed three months after baseline for HEP vs CONTR group (+0.25 vs +0.05 m/sec, p=0.025). Effects remained at follow-up. Only CONTR group resulted in a significant increase in SF-36 global score.Conclusion: This twelve-week HEP intervention using the Jintronix® gerontechnology is feasible, acceptable and safe for community-living older adults who sustained a minor injury. This intervention could increase walking speed, the most important predictor of adverse events in the elderly population, and that the improvement could be maintained over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The number of older adults residing in assisted living communities is increasing. Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA) on physical and cognitive capacities, and the opportunities for being active offered in these living environments, this population is highly sedentary and more at risk of physical decline. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, the acceptability, and the effects of PA intervention using gerontechnology in assisted living communities. Methods Forty-two older adults in 4 assisted living communities were recruited and randomly assigned to an exercise intervention group (EX) or a control group (CON) using a 2:1 ratio. The EX group followed a 12-week PA program (2 sessions per week) using gerontechnology. Body composition, health status, quality of life, and functional capacities were evaluated at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after baseline. Results Differences between groups were observed in the number of reported comorbidities (EX: 3.1 ± 1.6 vs CON: 5.0 ± 1.8; P = .007), SF-36 total score (EX: 80% ± 10% vs CON: 66% ± 15%; P = .004), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) total score (EX: 9.1 ± 1.8 vs CON: 7.5 ± 1.4; P = .006) at baseline. The EX group completed 89% ± 17% of the 24 prescribed sessions and realized 67% ± 13% of them in autonomy, reaching a quality level of 87% ± 6%. Of the EX participants, 93.8% enjoyed the exercises a lot or well, and 92.8% of them rated the exercises as being either easy or a little difficult. Changes between baseline and follow-up were statistically different between groups for walking speed (EX: +0.10 ± 0.20 vs CON: −0.04 ± 0.16 m/s; P = .04) and the SPPB score (EX: +1.1 ± 2.0 vs CON: −0.4 ± 1.6; P = .03). Conclusion We found that PA intervention using gerontechnology in assisted living communities for older adults was feasible and acceptable, but more importantly induced improvement in functional capacities and walking speed, which is the main predictor of mortality in the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]