scholarly journals UNRAQ—A Questionnaire for the Use of a Social Robot in Care for Older Persons. A Multi-Stakeholder Study and Psychometric Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6157
Author(s):  
Slawomir Tobis ◽  
Agnieszka Neumann-Podczaska ◽  
Sylwia Kropinska ◽  
Aleksandra Suwalska
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Social Robot ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Excellent Internal Consistency ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
Care For Older People

(1) Background: while there exist validated measures to assess the needs of older people, there are comparatively few validated tools to assess needs and requirements for the use of robots. Henceforth, the aim of the study is to present and validate such a tool. (2) Methods: The study group included 720 subjects (mean age 52.0 ± 37.0, 541 females) who agreed to fill the Users’ Needs, Requirements, and Abilities Questionnaire (UNRAQ). The validation part of the study included 125 persons. (3) Results: the acceptance of the robot was good in the whole group. The social functions were rated worse than assistive ones. A correlation was found between the scores of social and assistive functions. The respondents claimed that older adults were not prepared to interact with the robot and not very good at handling it, and were sceptical about their willingness to learn to operate the robot. The Cronbach alpha value for the whole questionnaire was 0.95 suggesting excellent internal consistency, and the ICC value of 0.88 represents excellent agreement; (4) Conclusions: We observed a good overall acceptance of the robot across the studied group. There is considerable demand for the use of a social robot in care for older people.

Aging Alone, Gossiping Together: Older Adults’ Talk as Social Glue

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 1474-1482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy Torres
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
New York ◽  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Emotional Intimacy ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Social ◽  
Formal Organizations ◽  
Negative Reputation

AbstractObjectivesWhile older adults living alone face challenges to maintaining social ties, elders in urban areas also have unique opportunities for daily socializing that can buffer against loneliness.MethodDrawing on 5 years of ethnographic fieldwork among elders in New York City, this study presents empirical insights into the development of supplementary neighborhood-based networks of support for older people living alone and vulnerable to isolation.ResultsThis study finds that elders who lived alone, without close kin, engaged in daily gossip about other older people they encountered as regulars in local eateries. Despite its negative reputation, gossip helped them connect and access less conventional social support close to home. The majority resisted formal organizations, such as churches or senior centers, and thus their interactions in public venues served as an important source of social involvement. In line with Gluckman’s argument (1963), gossip betrayed emotional intimacy and caretaking that connected people who could have fallen off the social radar.DiscussionHigher rates of divorce and lifelong singlehood, coupled with increased longevity, will compel greater numbers of older adults to construct alternative support networks. My findings suggest that more will draw these connections from unconventional venues such as neighborhood public places.

Features of Rural Communities in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa That Influence Well-Being of Older Persons

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 420-421
Author(s):  
Andrew Banda ◽  
Norah Keating ◽  
Jaco Hoffman ◽  
Jose Parodi ◽  
Nereide Curreri
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Older People ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract In their recent volume, Critical Rural Gerontology, Skinner et al (2021) challenge us to set aside unidimensional notions of rural communities as bypassed vs very supportive; and to identify the elements of rurality that empower or exclude older people and how these differ across cultures and settings. Covid-19 has highlighted the need for safe and inclusive communities. Given that LMIC will be home to the majority of older adults (Gonzales et al. 2015), we undertook a scoping review of features of rural communities that influence wellbeing of older people in countries across Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The review included literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, using search engines MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycInfo, SocINDEX, SciELO, AJOL (Africa Journals Online), LILACS, Redalyc, LatinIndex and Clacso. Findings illustrate diversity in how community features including remoteness, infrastructure and belonging influence material, social and subjective wellbeing of older residents.

Digital transformation of care for older people

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-541
Author(s):  
Oscar Zanutto
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Care Model ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Care For Older People

We are facing the 2050 aging wave that is calling us to prepare several strands of interventions to be ready on time. There is a need to foster the digital transformation of the care sector by the improvement of the digital literacy among older people, carers and care workers also using codesign approaches for the ICT usability and adoption in the social and health care domains. Moreover we need to switch from a reactive care model based on chronicity towards the adoption of a new one where citizens will be the co-maker of their own health.

Ageing

2021 ◽  
pp. 240-254
Author(s):  
Wadad Kathy Tannous ◽  
Kathleen Quilty
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Emergent Technologies ◽  
The World ◽  
First Time

In 2019, the number of people in the world aged over 65 was 703 million. By 2050, this number is projected to be 1.5 billion. However, it is not only the number of older persons but the proportion that is changing. Italy was the first country to experience a demographic milestone known as the ‘Historic Reversal', reporting in 1995 that the population of people aged 65 years and older outnumbered children under the age of 15 for the first time ever. By 2050, this number is expected to reach 90 countries. This social ‘megatrend' collides with another shifting paradigm: technological advancement, accelerating every year at an extraordinary pace. While this trend of continuous technological evolution is not developing uniformly around the world, the scope of potential support that new and emergent technologies can bring to older adults is enormous. This chapter explores key areas of consideration to ensure that the promise of the digital future is realised for older people and that it is an enabling force, rather than a barrier to enjoying a longer, more supported later life.

Frequency of conditions associated with declines in intrinsic capacity according to a screening tool in the context of Integrated care for older people

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
E. González-Bautista ◽  
P. de Souto Barreto ◽  
K. Virecoulon Giudici ◽  
S. Andrieu ◽  
Y. Rolland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Older People ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Memory Complaints ◽  
Intrinsic Capacity ◽  
With Memory ◽  
Care For Older People

Background: The screening tool of the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE Step 1), designed to detect declines in the domains of intrinsic capacity, has been incipiently investigated in older adult populations. Objectives: To retrospectively estimate the frequency of priority conditions associated with declines in intrinsic capacity according to an adaptation of the screening tool ICOPE Step 1 among participants of the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). Design: A cross-sectional retrospective analysis from the baseline assessment of the MAPT. Setting: The data was gathered during a preventive consultation for cardiovascular risk factors in memory clinics in France. Participants : Seven hundred fifty-nine older adults aged 70-89 years with memory complaints, allocated to the multidomain groups of the MAPT study. Measurements: Five domains of intrinsic capacity (cognition, locomotion, nutrition, sensorial, and psychological) were assessed using a screening tool similar to the ICOPE Step 1 (MAPT Step 1). The frequency of six conditions associated with declines in intrinsic capacity (cognitive decline, limited mobility, malnutrition, visual impairment, hearing loss, and depressive symptoms) was obtained for older adults with memory complaints participating in the MAPT study. Results: Overall, 89.3% of the participants had one or more conditions associated with declines in intrinsic capacity. The overall frequency of each condition was: 52.2% for cognitive decline, 20.2% for limited mobility, 6.6% for malnutrition, 18.1% for visual impairment, 56.2% for hearing loss, and 39% for depressive symptoms. Conclusion: After being screened with an adaptation of the ICOPE step 1 (MAPT step 1) tool, 9/10 older adults had one or more conditions associated with declines in intrinsic capacity. The relative frequency differs across conditions and could probably be lower in a population without memory complaints. The frequency of screened conditions associated with declines in IC highlights how relevant it is to develop function-centered care modalities to promote healthy aging.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Ageism: Has the Pandemic Allowed Prevailing Ageist Attitudes to Go Viral?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Rooprai ◽  
Neel Mistry
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Vaccine Administration ◽  
Human Worth

Current perceptions of older adults are often met with prejudice and misconceptions that constitute what has been characterized as ‘ageism’. Rarely are older persons considered indispensable members of the population who deserve our respect and support. While it is unclear if and when this pandemic will end, what is clear is how COVID-19 has unveiled the prevalent ageist attitudes against older people, underscoring an unsettling discourse about age and human worth that has allowed us to easily question the value of older adults. In this commentary, we highlight specific recommendations that can be made to combat ageism during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with exploration of vaccine administration and inequities across long-term care homes.

The role of social partnership in modernizing the system of social services for older persons

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Rita Khamadeeva ◽  
Natalia Bolshakova
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Service System ◽  
Social Partnership ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Service System

The article considers the role of social partnership in the modernization of the social service system for older people. It is noted that changes in the social sphere are necessary not because the social service system does not cope with its tasks, but because the changed reality, social problems and needs of older people make new demands on it.

scholarly journals Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Håkan Nilsson ◽  
Pia H. Bülow ◽  
Ali Kazemi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Aging Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Mindfulness Practices ◽  
Disengagement Theory

The primary aim of this article is to present a new concept called mindful sustainable aging (MSA), which is informed by mindfulness practices that support the physical, the mental, and especially, the social and the existential dimensions of old life. The concept of MSA is discussed and compared with four influential psychosocial theories in the field of gerontology, i.e., activity theory, disengagement theory, successful aging theory and gerotranscendence theory. The article ends with reviewing research on how mindfulness practice can help to manage, diminish and/or improve a number of serious physical conditions that are common among older people. The potential of mindfulness when it comes to facilitating for older adults in their quest for spiritual and existential meaning is discussed extensively throughout the article.

scholarly journals Mental Health Among the Korean Older Population: How is it Related to Asset-based Welfare?

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482091729
Author(s):  
Gum-Ryeong Park ◽  
Bo Kyong Seo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Housing Tenure ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Older Population ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Income Status ◽  
The Social ◽  
Income Insecurity

Objective: This article aims to investigate how older adults’ income and housing tenure are concurrently associated with depression in Korea. Methods: Using the 2017 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons, logistic regression was implemented to examine the association of housing tenure and income status with depression among 6,624 older adults. Also, the older adults’ satisfaction with their economic conditions was added to examine its mediation effects on this association. Results: Homeownership lowered the likelihood of depression, whereas lower income increased the likelihood of depression among older adults. Also, lack of income security was associated with depression even among older homeowners, being partially mediated through their satisfaction with economic conditions. Conclusion: This study contributes to articulating the mechanisms linking housing tenure, income insecurity, and mental health of the older population in Korea. Future studies are needed to investigate the social determinants of health among older adults.

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