A Survey of Mobile Phone Use in Older Adults

Author(s):  
Young Seok Lee

Mobile phone adoption by older adults is radically increasing. As a part of multiple empirical studies to improve older adults' experiences with mobile phones, a survey was conducted to investigate a number of specific aspects of mobile phone use in the older adult population including motives of ownership, usage patterns, preferences on mobile phone features, and perceived usability of their own phones. A total of 154 older adults from 20 states of the United States who owned a mobile phone participated in this study. Results indicated that participants used a few basic features of mobile phones since they used them mainly for personal communication and safety reasons. Overall, participants perceived that their current phones offered marginal “ease of use”, but they found most usability problems with understanding error messages, inputting text, and understanding user manuals. The majority of older adults (over 50%) desired a phone with basic features that include making /receiving a call, phonebook, emergency call, voice message checking, speed dial, ringer change, and clock. However, effects of age and gender were found on mobile phone usage patterns and design preferences, which suggest a need of focusing on diverse groups within the older adult population.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 194-194
Author(s):  
Stephanie Williams ◽  
Elizabeth Orsega-Smith ◽  
Laurie Ruggiero

Abstract By the year 2035, the older adult population is expected to expand to 78 million in the United States. Advancing technology has made aging in place a more accessible possibility; however, understanding what is preventing this population from adopting the advancing devices remains to be a challenge as the presence of a digital divide continues to exist. A 34-question survey adapted from the Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment Questionnaire, and the National Technology Readiness survey was administered to 101 participants over the age of 50 across five local senior centers. The average age range was 70-79 and most were female (79.2%), white (69%), and owned or had access to technology such as a computer or cell phone (93%). Examples of findings include 86% felt technology limited human interaction and 69% felt the use of technology could lead to security risk and a breach of privacy, while 79% felt technology could improve their quality of life. Results found 60-69-year-olds were significantly more likely (p<.05) to have or use technology versus 80-89-year-olds. Correlation between perception and intent to use technology among older adults was positive with a coefficient value of .59(p<.01). Showing a relationship between perceptions and behavioral intentions to use technology, specifically in 60-69-year-olds. This study found access to technology (i.e. computers, cell phones, internet) was not a driving factor of usage among the older population attending a senior center. To increase understanding further exploration of perceptions and intentions to use technology is warranted in the older adult population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 403-404
Author(s):  
Yeonjung (Jane) Lee ◽  
Tyran Terada

Abstract The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) older adult population remains understudied and are disproportionately affected by diabetes and heart conditions. Research has shown that participating in physical activity is a protective factor for many of the health conditions experienced by older adults. Yet, the link between physical activity, diabetes, and heart conditions among the NHOPI older adult population is limited. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of NHOPI older adults and to explore the association between physical activity levels and diabetes/heart conditions. Methods and findings Using data from the 2014 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey (NHPI NHIS), which is considered to have a representative sample of NHOPI, the study explores the associations between physical activity and diabetes/heart conditions. A total of 1,045 older adults ages 50 years and older were included for analyses. Weighted multivariate analyses with multiple imputation techniques were used. The NHPI NHIS is the first federal survey focusing on the NHOPI population of the United States with rich information on health. Results and Implications Those with who were engaged in a sufficient physical activity had lower odds of having diabetes or heart conditions than their counterparts without physical activity while controlling for other sociodemographic characteristics. Findings highlight the importance of physical activity promotion intervention in preventing cardiovascular disease. Research and practice addressing health disparities and cardiovascular conditions should leverage efforts to provide culturally relevant physical activity types and resources to NHOPI older adults.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-122
Author(s):  
Candice Tavares

Abstract The older adult population is one of the fastest growing age groups in the United States. As this population continues to expand, determining the safest way to provide pain management has become increasingly important. More than 50% of community-dwelling older adults experience pain on a daily basis, and up to 83% of those in assisted living facilities experience persistent pain. Pain is exceedingly challenging to treat safely and effectively in the elderly because of the physiologic changes that occur as people age. In addition, many nonnarcotic medications with analgesic properties are listed in both the 2012 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults and the Pharmacy Quality Alliance high-risk medications lists. An approach to the growing challenge of managing pain in the elderly that is gaining popularity among community-dwelling patients is the use of topical pain medications. The goal of this article is to review some of the available literature regarding the use of various topical analgesics alone or in combination, and to discuss their known or theoretical mechanisms of peripheral pain modulation. Commercially available or compounded topical pain medications may be used to replace or augment doses of oral medications in an effort to decrease the risk of adverse drug events for older adult patients. When prescribing topical pain medications physicians should consider the nature of the pain targeted, the type of analgesia expected from each ingredient, the potential for systemic absorption, and related side effects.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 7991
Author(s):  
Jon Kerexeta Sarriegi ◽  
Andoni Beristain Iraola ◽  
Roberto Álvarez Sánchez ◽  
Manuel Graña ◽  
Kristin May Rebescher ◽  
...  

The global population is aging in an unprecedented manner and the challenges for improving the lives of older adults are currently both a strong priority in the political and healthcare arena. In this sense, preventive measures and telemedicine have the potential to play an important role in improving the number of healthy years older adults may experience and virtual coaching is a promising research area to support this process. This paper presents COLAEVA, an interactive web application for older adult population clustering and evolution analysis. Its objective is to support caregivers in the design, validation and refinement of coaching plans adapted to specific population groups. COLAEVA enables coaching caregivers to interactively group similar older adults based on preliminary assessment data, using AI features, and to evaluate the influence of coaching plans once the final assessment is carried out for a baseline comparison. To evaluate COLAEVA, a usability test was carried out with 9 test participants obtaining an average SUS score of 71.1. Moreover, COLAEVA is available online to use and explore.


2021 ◽  
pp. 678-684
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Parker ◽  
Smita C. Banerjee ◽  
Beatriz Korc-Grodzicki

The older adult population continues to increase. Among all known risk factors for developing cancer, the most important is growing old. Thus, caring for older adults with cancer is of increasing importance. This chapter describes important considerations involved in communicating with cancer patients including sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, multiple morbidity, polypharmacy, and psychological distress. It also describes how stereotyping and ageism affect communication with older adults with cancer. Finally, the chapter discusses ways to facilitate communication with older adult cancer patients and their families and provides an example of a training program that was created specifically to enhance communication between healthcare providers and older adult cancer patients and their families.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Claire A. Wilson ◽  
Deanna Walker ◽  
Donald H. Saklofske

Abstract The study of resilience in an older adult population is expanding rapidly. However, most theoretical models of resilience have been developed with children or young to middle-aged adults. The objective of the present study was to review systematically the qualitative literature examining resilience in older adults, and to develop a comprehensive model of resilience in older adulthood. A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted to review the qualitative literature examining resilience from older adults’ perspectives. An exhaustive search of the literature revealed 1,752 articles. From these articles, 34 studies meeting inclusion criteria were selected for analysis. Across the 34 studies analysed, eight themes were revealed as important for achieving resilience later in life: perseverance and determination, self-efficacy and independence, purpose and meaning, positive perspective, social support, faith and prayer, previous experience and being proactive. These themes can be organised into a four-factor model: (a) Intrapersonal Protective Factors; (b) Interpersonal Protective Factors; (c) Spiritual Protective Factors; and (d) Experiential Protective Factors. This study presents a new model of resilience in older adulthood that is grounded in qualitative literature and is relevant and appropriate for an older adult population. This research may be useful for clinicians, support workers and researchers working with older individuals through improving our understanding of what contributes to resilience later in life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Correia ◽  
Bruno M. P. M. Oliveira ◽  
Rui Poínhos ◽  
Anzhela Sorokina ◽  
Cláudia Afonso ◽  
...  

AbstractNear 20% of the Portuguese population is aged 65 years or above, a value similar to most developed countries. This older adult population also suffers from obesity and obesity-related pathologies. The environment encompasses a set of obesity determinants and knowing the associations between the environment and obesity may help health professionals and caregivers to provide for the older adults.In this study, we aimed to relate anthropometric measures with socio-demographic data in older adults.This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Pronutrisenior project, collected in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. The sample consists of 456 older adults, aged 65 to 92 years without cognitive impairment. The sample consisted of older adults living at their homes. Socio-demographic, clinical, geographical, and anthropometric data was collected. The statistical analysis used IBM-SPSS-22.0 and consisted on descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and UniANOVA. Significantly results (p < 0.05) are reported.These older adults were mostly females (54.2%) with a mean age of 73.8 years (sd = 6.3), mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.1kg/m2 (sd = 4.8), mean waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) of 0.623 (sd = 0.073) and mean percentage of body fat mass (%BFM) of 40.7% (sd = 8.9%) for females and 30.2% (sd = 8.5%) for males. BMI, WHtR and %BFM were positively correlated. In this sample of older adults, higher values of these measures were associated to being female, younger, less educated; to having articular pains and respiratory problems, and not having insomnia, hypertension, chewing problems nor hearing problems; to drink more liquids but not consuming dairy products daily; to not take nutritional supplements but to take more medicines; to be without somebody to talk to and to be more dependent; and to live in a house without stairs to climb and to live near other older adults, and in a more urbanized area with streets with steeper slopes.In this sample of older adults, obesity is related with health characteristics and those are related with socio-demographic and geographical characteristics of the area of residence. Besides the identification of risk factors for the older adult population, this information may help designing health care policies that takes in consideration the physical and geographical characteristics of the neighbourhood of the area of residence of the older adults.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 906-906
Author(s):  
Lori Armistead ◽  
Jan Busby-Whitehead ◽  
Stefanie Ferreri ◽  
Cristine Henage ◽  
Tamera Hughes ◽  
...  

Abstract The United States spends $50 billion each year on 2.8 million injuries and 800,000 hospitalizations older adults (age 65 years and older) incur as the result of falls. Chronic use of central nervous system (CNS)-active medications, such as opioid and/or benzodiazepine (BZD) medications, increases the risk of falls and falls-related injuries in this older adult population. This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded randomized control trial uses electronic health record (EHR) data from primary care outpatient clinics to identify older adult patients at risk for falls due to chronic opioid or BZD use. The primary program aim is to test the efficacy of a targeted consultant pharmacist service to reduce the dose burden of these medications in the targeted population. Impact of this intervention on the risk of falls in this population will also be assessed. Licensed clinical pharmacists will review at-risk patients’ medical records weekly and make recommendations through the EHR to primary care providers for opioid or BZD dose adjustments, alternate medications, and/or adjunctive therapies to support deprescribing for approximately 1265 patients in the first two cohorts of intervention clinics. One thousand three hundred eighty four patients in the control clinics will receive usual care. Outcome measures will include reduction or discontinuation of opioids and BZDs and falls risk reduction as measured by the Stop Elderly Accidents, Death and Injuries (STEADI) Questionnaire. Primary care provider adoption of pharmacists’ recommendations and satisfaction with the consult service will also be reported.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document