Insights Into the Older Adults' World: Concepts of Aging, Care, and Using Assistive Technology in Late Adulthood

Abstract

The ongoing demographic change forces different stakeholders to cope with increasing needs in nursing care and the economic costs. Consequences arising from the population aging can be supported by assistive technologies to maintain older individuals' autonomy. However, older adults' opinions on the assistance of health-related technologies and their attitudes toward aging and care largely remain underexplored. This paper provides a geriatric and socio-technical perspective, investigating individual perceptions of (a) aging, (b) nursing care, and (c) the adoption of assistive technologies in a cross-national subject group. For this purpose, N = 384 individuals (60+ years) participated in an online survey. Findings indicate that most older adults are open to assistive technologies and that individual care preferences contribute to a successful adoption of these technologies. Among individual factors, health status, and gender affect respondents' opinions the most. Our findings help to understand older adults' acceptance of assistive technologies and contribute to the research on the nursing care in private and professional environments.

Factors Influencing Utilization of Assistive Devices by Tibetan Seniors on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Based on Research Strategy of Triangulation

“…The results of this study showed that 149 (70.6%) of the Tibetan seniors had the willingness to use ADs, and this data set also indicated that the willingness of seniors to accept ADs is universal, which is consistent with the study by Wilkowska et al 35 The reasons for this are mainly related to the functional decline in the elderly and the need for ADs to maintain their basic self-care ability. China’s population is developing from a pyramid to an inverted pyramid, and the “421 family model” (ie, 2 adults will be responsible for supporting 4 seniors and 1 child) has become the basic family structure in China, and the burden of pension is getting heavier.…”

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“…As more and more technologies emerge to assist older adults, researchers should consider the effect of health-related technologies on the people being monitored [11]. Most people want to keep their health information private, and they also worry about how such information could be used against them.…”

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Reducing the Burdens of Paid Caregivers of Older Adults by Using Assistive Technology: A Scoping Review

“…15 Assistive technology is a term for systems or services that promote independence and improve function. 16 It encompasses a wide range of products from "low-technology" items, such as grab bars, walkers, and reminder calendars, to "high-technology" items, such as sensors, remote monitoring systems, and GPS tracking technology. 17 While many studies focus on the use of assistive technology for persons with disabilities, researchers globally and organizations like the World Health Organization have expanded the scope to include older people and people experiencing gradual functional decline.…”

“… 15 Assistive technology is a term for systems or services that promote independence and improve function. 16 It encompasses a wide range of products from “low-technology” items, such as grab bars, walkers, and reminder calendars, to “high-technology” items, such as sensors, remote monitoring systems, and GPS tracking technology. 17…”