An Age Simulation Program Promoting Positive Attitudes Toward Older People in Hong Kong: Further Evidence of Integration of Natural Social Network Effects

Purpose This study examines an age simulation program in Hong Kong concerning the possible integrative impacts of an experiential education approach and contact experience within a natural social network among younger individuals. Method: A sample of 1121 younger individuals participated in this study. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the impact of the age simulation program. Results: The results of structural equation modeling indicated the effective impact of the age-simulation program on promoting positive attitudes toward older adults among the younger participants ( β = 0.28, p < .001). The significant results of contact experience highlighted the way in which familial contact experience could bring about more positive attitudes toward the older adults ( β = 0.08, p < .01) than peer group contact can ( β = −0.08, p < .05). Discussion: The protocol of the presented program could provide an actionable framework for social workers and allied professionals to launch related service plans in the communities.

Age suit simulation replicates in healthy young adults the functional challenges to balance experienced by older adults: an observational study

BackgroundAge simulation can have a positive effect on empathic understanding and perception of ageing. However, there is limited evidence for its ability to replicate objectively the physical and functional challenges of ageing.ObjectiveTo observe whether age suit simulation can replicate in healthy young adults the physical and physiological balance disturbance and falls risk experienced by older adults.MethodologyHealthy young adults aged 20–40 years (16 male) were recruited to the study using convenience sampling from a student population. Participants performed three validated balance tests—Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS)—first without the age suit and then with the age suit, using a standardised protocol, following the same sequence.Results30 participants completed all tests. Statistically significant differences between without-age-suit and with-age-suit performance were recorded for FRT distance (p<0.000005), time taken to complete the TUG (p<0.0005) and BBS score (p<0.001). A comparison of participant scores with normative FRT and TUG scores identified that the suit had ‘aged’ the majority of participants to the normative values for older adults (60+), with some reaching the values for individuals aged 70–89. However, no scores achieved the values indicative of increased falls risk.ConclusionsThe age suit is a valid educational tool that extends the value of age simulation beyond a more general empathising role, enabling those working with an older population to experience and understand the functional challenges to balance experienced by older adults as part of their training.

Simulation-based service walkthrough (SBSW) to assess airport environment performance

PurposeThe increasing number of older passengers is resulted in a growing significance of international senior tourism industry. In today's competitive airport environments, improving the airport service performance (ASP) for older passengers is crucial to take an important place in the market. ASP design has been in the focal point of many researchers and airport stakeholders. However, the service performance evaluation regarding airport architectural design and use of older passengers have been mostly underrated.Design/methodology/approachThe study focused on ASP evaluation of architectural building elements. The proposed simulation-based service walkthrough (SBSW) was applied in a case airport building in Istanbul. Experts performed landside passenger activities to evaluate its ASP with a given walkthrough instruction. An empathic tool, GERonTologic age simulation (GERT) suit, was used to experience the physical limitations of older passengers during the experiment.FindingsResults showed that SBSW positively influenced experts' evaluation of ASP, where higher service problems were obtained. The GERT suit created a significant difference, where lower ASP scores and higher perceived empathy were observed within the group with the GERT suit. The study concluded that the proposed ASP criteria and SBSW could provide a useful research framework during service design of age-friendly airports.Originality/valueThe study addressed a novel area of enquiry by proposing a new set of ASP criteria for older passengers considering the airport architectural design and evaluating these criteria through a new empathic approach “SBSW”.

Designing a Randomized Trial with an Age Simulation Suit—Representing People with Health Impairments

Due to demographic change, there is an increasing demand for professional care services, whereby this demand cannot be met by available caregivers. To enable adequate care by relieving informal and formal care, the independence of people with chronic diseases has to be preserved for as long as possible. Assistance approaches can be used that support promoting physical activity, which is a main predictor of independence. One challenge is to design and test such approaches without affecting the people in focus. In this paper, we propose a design for a randomized trial to enable the use of an age simulation suit to generate reference data of people with health impairments with young and healthy participants. Therefore, we focus on situations of increased physical activity.