The Use of Interactive Computer Services To Enhance the Quality of Life for Long-Term Care Residents

McConatha, Douglas; McConatha, Jasmin Tahmaseb; Dermigny, Regina

doi:10.1093/geront/34.4.553

Cited by 70 publications

(40 citation statements)

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“…People who are chronically ill or disabled tend to be socially isolated; the use of e-mail and the Internet would offer them an opportunity to take part in society once again. In addition, past research already found positive effects of Internet use on psychological wellbeing of older adults in institutional settings (McConatha, McConatha, & Dermigny, 1994White et al, 1999;. Therefore, we expect the Esc@pe project to be an effective intervention in combating loneliness in general and social loneliness in particular.…”

Section: Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 88%

Escape loneliness by going digital: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a Dutch experiment in using ECT to overcome loneliness among older adults

Fokkema

Knipscheer

2007

Aging & Mental Health

175

181

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Section: Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 88%

Escape loneliness by going digital: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a Dutch experiment in using ECT to overcome loneliness among older adults

Fokkema

Knipscheer

2007

Aging & Mental Health

175

181

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“…In other studies computers have been introduced into homes for the elderly and these studies initially appear to suggest that the introduction of computers has a positive effect on elderly users' wellbeing (see for example, McConatha et al, 1994). In studies where interpersonal communication was offered, this was the most popular and widely used application among the elderly users (Danowski and Sacks, 1980;McConatha et al, 1994).…”

Section: Email: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In studies where interpersonal communication was offered, this was the most popular and widely used application among the elderly users (Danowski and Sacks, 1980;McConatha et al, 1994). Unfortunately these studies used standard commercial software, which necessitated a high level of support.…”

Section: Email: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introducing the Internet to the over-60s: Developing an email system for older novice computer users

Dickinson

Newell

Smith

et al. 2005

Interacting with Computers

100

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Contemporary technology offers many benefits to older people, but these are often rendered inaccessible through poor software design. As the Internet increasingly becomes a source of information and services it is vital to ensure that older people can access these resources. As part of project funded by the UK government, a multi-disciplinary team set out to develop usable software that would help to introduce older people to the Internet. The first step was to develop an email system for older people with no experience of Internet use. The project was intended to show that it is possible to design usable technology for this group and to explore some of the issues involved in doing so. Design and technical challenges necessitated various tradeoffs. The system produced demonstrated the success of the design decisions: it was significantly easier to use than, and preferred to, a commercial equivalent by a group of older people with no experience of Internet use. q

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“…This growth comes from two areas: an increase in the total number of people in the older adult category and in greater use of computers by older individuals. D. McConatha, J. McConatha, and Dermigny (1994) demonstrated that older adults frequently use on-line services, including email, games and puzzles, consumer reports, educational items, bulletin boards and stock market reports. These trends highlight the desire and ability of older persons to embrace technology.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions and Use of Gerotechnology: Implications for Aging in Place

Mahmood¹,

Yamamoto²,

Lee³

et al. 2008

Journal of Housing For the Elderly

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ABSTRACT.Understanding perceptions and use of gerotechnology is crucial to optimize design, application, and education strategies that may reduce caregiver burden, extend healthy aging in place, and minimize demands on the health care system. A pilot project was conducted to explore attitudes, opinions, and preferences of older adults concerning the use of technology to support and extend their ability to "aging in place." Four major themes emerged as important for older adults to age in place: safety and independence, social interaction, use of technology in the past, and the desire for support. Based on the literature in gerotechnology and the pilot study findings, we present a conceptual model that integrates gerotechnology into the life span theory of control (Heckhausen & Schulz, 1995;Schulz & Heckhausen, 1996) and the concept of aging in place. Gerotechnology, aging KEYWORDS. TECHNOLOGY AND AGING: THE CONTEXTThe 2000 Census projected an increase in the 65-and-over population in the next quarter century due to the aging of the baby boom generation (people born between 1946-1964) who will begin turning 65 in less than a decade. Older adults almost uniformly prefer to age in place; that is, living in one's own dwelling after retirement (AARP, 2003; ASID, 2003). Strong evidence suggests that older adults have significantly improved quality of life, social connectedness to family and friends, and fewer health-care complaints when they are able to live safely in their own homes, rather than in institutional settings (Fogel, 1992;Sixsmith, 1990;Tilson, 1989). Although most existing homes do not readily accommodate the changing needs of their aging residents, many older adults continue to reside in their own homes, often alone.1 The assistance they need is provided most often by informal family caregivers (Grant et al., 2004) who frequently experience significant stress while juggling multiple roles in addition to their caregiving duties (Zarit, Reever, & Bach-Peterson, 1980).In this aging society, there is evidence that technological advancements could help older adults (especially those living alone) to live independently and alleviate the pressures on their caregivers (Dishman, 2004;Dishman, Matthews, & Dunbar-Jacob, 2003). This type of technology is often referred to as "gerotechnology" in academic literature. Many gerotechnologies are already available and many more innovative devices are introduced to the market each year.The drive for the development of gerotechnologies is fueled by the desire of older adults to age in place, coupled with their increasing need for assistance in daily activities. Proponents of gerotechnologies (e.g., Dishman 2003;Dishman et al., 2003;Fozard, Rietsema, Bouma, & Graafmans, 2000;Horgas & Abowd, 2003) argue that gerotechnologies such as activity monitoring devices and advanced communication interfaces can both reduce caregiver work load and reduce demands on the health care system. For example, remote monitoring technology allows caregivers to track an older person's activity...

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The Use of Interactive Computer Services To Enhance the Quality of Life for Long-Term Care Residents

Cited by 70 publications

References 0 publications

Escape loneliness by going digital: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a Dutch experiment in using ECT to overcome loneliness among older adults

Escape loneliness by going digital: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a Dutch experiment in using ECT to overcome loneliness among older adults

Introducing the Internet to the over-60s: Developing an email system for older novice computer users

Perceptions and Use of Gerotechnology: Implications for Aging in Place

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