Anticipated Satisfaction of Technologies in the Homes and Lives of Older Adults to Prolong Independence

Introduction: As the population of older adults grows and solutions are needed to care for them as they age, gerontechnology provides an opportunity to assist older adults as they age and keep them active in society.

Method: In this initial study, quantitative data was collected from a sample of 31 participants to explore the level of satisfaction older adults feel they would experience from integrating various gerontechnologies into their lives. Participants responded to demographic questions regarding age, education, ethnicity, living situation, and ability level. Participants also reported their anticipated satisfaction level for various gerontechnologies with the intent to prolong their current independence levels.

Results: Varying levels of anticipated satisfaction were reported by participants, with the Apple Watch, Life Alert, and induction cooktops being among those with the highest anticipated satisfaction rating. Of the wearable technologies, the Apple Watch had the highest anticipated satisfaction rating, and of the home-integrated technologies, the induction cooktop had the highest anticipated satisfaction rating.

Conclusion: Findings showed that simply participating in this study exposed participants to various technologies that can serve older adults as they age. Findings also suggest that most older adults find that they would be satisfied to some degree by integrating technology into their lives to assist them in aging in place. Further analysis of the data and analysis of qualitative data may reveal richer and more meaningful findings.

Keywords:Aging in place; Gerontechnology; Independence; Technology

Abbreviations:IADL: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; ADL: Activities of Daily Living; TAM: Technology Acceptance Model