A review of Age Friendly Virtual Assistive Technologies and their Effect on Daily Living for Carers and Dependent Adults.

Abstract

Many barriers exist in the lives of older adult’s, including health, transport, housing, isolation, disability and access to technology. The appropriate integration of technology within age-friendly communities continues to offer possible solutions to these barriers and challenges. Older adults and disabled people continue to be affected and marginalized due to lack of access to the digital world. Working collaboratively with planners, policy makers and developers, social and living spaces in the future will ensure that residents are equipped to live in an era that continues to be led by, and is dependent upon, access to technology. This review paper uniquely draws together the small volume of literature from the fields of gerontology, gerontechnology, human computer interaction (HCI), and disability. This paper examines the national and international age-friendly frameworks regarding older adults who are carers of dependent people with disabilities.

Intergenerational Effects on the Impacts of Technology Use in Later Life: Insights from an International, Multi-Site Study

“…Technology (e.g., digital devices, the Internet, digital gaming, and mobile apps) use in later life is a growing field of research, with much new exploration and study [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Technology and associated ICTs are often aimed towards improving the health, wellbeing and quality of life of older adults, whether through applications for home healthcare and connected health services [ 17 ], medication reminders [ 18 , 19 ], mirrors that display health data [ 20 ], or wearable technology [ 21 ]. Technology use to enhance communication is routine practice for many older adults, with home computers being used to create a common interest among older and younger family members and improve family ties [ 22 ].…”

A Commentary on Blue Zones®: A Critical Review of Age-Friendly Environments in the 21st Century and Beyond

“…For some people who live in housing that is historical, placed in a conservation area and is generally 100–200 years old, heating a room to a certain temperature is not possible because they would need to ensure the temperature is appropriate for them to go to bed, reducing damp and potential health issues resulting from a cold room/living space. However, with recent innovative technologies such as the IoT, there is the option to set individual rooms within the living space to different temperatures that can be set prior to one coming home from work or other outdoor activities [ 67 ]. Similarly, this type of technology can also be used for lighting (Item 4) on the Bedroom checklist, and via the various products available on the market, dimming lights can be set for various times of the evening and of the day.…”

OK Cupid, Stop Bumbling around and Match Me Tinder: Using Dating Apps Across the Life Course

“…While we have focused specifically on two diverse populations, there are similarities between the two—be-it in later life or in adulthood loneliness and social isolation can occur ( Marston & Morgan, 2020 ). However, older adults have had the benefits of exposure to technology ( Rosales & Fernández-Ardèvol, 2016 ; Gallistl & Nimrod, 2020 ; Nimrod & Ivan, 2019 ; Marston & Samuels, 2019 ; O’Brien et al, 2012 ), yet a steeper learning curve than it is for young (disabled) adults ( Marston, 2019 ). For older adults, they too have had to take various transitions in later life, for some, they may have existing knowledge of technology through work or intergenerational relationships ( Taipale, 2019 ).…”

“…Contemporary literature has identified the barriers and enablers to using technology in contemporary society ( Genoe et al, 2018 ; Marston & Samuels, 2019 ; Marston et al, 2019 ; Vaziri et al, 2016 ). Interweaving technology into modern-day activities and journeys of citizens forms the smart Age-Friendly ecosystem of the 21st century ( Marston & van Hoof, 2019 ).…”