From Collaborative Habituation to Everyday Togetherness: A Long-Term Study of Use of the Messaging Kettle

We present a long-term study of use of the Messaging Kettle, an Internet of Things (IOT) research prototype that augments an everyday kettle with both sensing and messaging capability and a beautiful light display in order to investigate connecting geographically distant loved ones to their family through the routine of boiling the kettle. Connection at a distance has been of sustained interest to the CHI community, and the social connection of older people is of increasing importance in recognition of ageing populations globally. However, very few novel designs in this domain have been investigated in situ or over the long term to examine whether their use sustains, and if so, how they impact communication in a relationship. The Messaging Kettle was trialled with four pairs of dispersed older mothers and adult daughters over timeframes that lasted between two months to more than two years. We observed the phenomenon of collaborative habituation wherein each party creatively made the technology work for them both through a combination of the gradual transformation of their everyday practices, arrangements, and living. Through developing these joint practices over time, participants expressed feelings of everyday togetherness that nurture their relationship at a distance. Three of the four couples continued to use the prototype for years, beyond the initial trial. We reflect on the artful integration of features of the Messaging Kettle and the way in which these features supported collaborative habituation . We also reflect on lessons and implications for the design of such relational technologies.

How partisan politics influence government policies in response to ageing populations

Since old-age programmes mitigate life-course risks that are relevant to individuals across socio-economic groups in ageing societies, all parties have a political incentive to support these initiatives. Nevertheless, pre-existing partisan commitments bind the policy instruments that parties use. Cabinet-level analyses of OECD economies demonstrate that left incumbency relies more on public expenditure than right-wing governments. What is more important is that, in the context of large elderly populations, pension coverage is greater under right-leaning governments, while pension replacement rates are higher in left-leaning governments. This shows that party behaviour related to life course-related policies cannot be explained by the conventional pro-expansion versus the pro-retrenchment partisan politics. Rather, a focus on partisan variation in the use of policy instruments is required.

Capability and Political Participation Among Ageing Populations

In this chapter, we study reasons for, and conceptions of, non-voting among Swedish seniors. We present a tentative framework for studying capability and political participation among older people in which we combine insights from previous research on age, health and political participation from the perspective of capability; that is, what a person is effectively able to be and do. The empirical illustration is based on extended interviews with eight individuals, both voters and non-voters, aged 80 years or older. The results show that the concepts of internal and combined capabilities are fruitful when understanding conceptions of and reasons for non-voting. For some individuals, voting is simply too much of an effort, and they need to direct their capabilities towards other, more desirable, functionings. For other individuals, health and mobility issues would have hindered their ability to vote if it were not for the practical and social support of close relatives. The chapter ends with a discussion on the importance of continuing to integrate explanations at different levels in order to understand political (in)activity among older individuals.

Ageing rate of older adults affects the factors associated with, and the determinants of malnutrition in the community: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Background Malnutrition negatively impacts on health, quality of life and disease outcomes in older adults. The reported factors associated with, and determinants of malnutrition, are inconsistent between studies. These factors may vary according to differences in rate of ageing. This review critically examines the evidence for the most frequently reported sociodemographic factors and determinants of malnutrition and identifies differences according to rates of ageing. Methods A systematic search of the PubMed Central and Embase databases was conducted in April 2019 to identify papers on ageing and poor nutritional status. Numerous factors were identified, including factors from demographic, food intake, lifestyle, social, physical functioning, psychological and disease-related domains. Where possible, community-dwelling populations assessed within the included studies (N = 68) were categorised according to their ageing rate: ‘successful’, ‘usual’ or ‘accelerated’. Results Low education level and unmarried status appear to be more frequently associated with malnutrition within the successful ageing category. Indicators of declining mobility and function are associated with malnutrition and increase in severity across the ageing categories. Falls and hospitalisation are associated with malnutrition irrespective of rate of ageing. Factors associated with malnutrition from the food intake, social and disease-related domains increase in severity in the accelerated ageing category. Having a cognitive impairment appears to be a determinant of malnutrition in successfully ageing populations whilst dementia is reported to be associated with malnutrition within usual and accelerated ageing populations. Conclusions This review summarises the factors associated with malnutrition and malnutrition risk reported in community-dwelling older adults focusing on differences identified according to rate of ageing. As the rate of ageing speeds up, an increasing number of factors are reported within the food intake, social and disease-related domains; these factors increase in severity in the accelerated ageing category. Knowledge of the specific factors and determinants associated with malnutrition according to older adults’ ageing rate could contribute to the identification and prevention of malnutrition. As most studies included in this review were cross-sectional, longitudinal studies and meta-analyses comprehensively assessing potential contributory factors are required to establish the true determinants of malnutrition.

Next-generation rheumatoid arthritis specialized telemedicine enabled by IoT and AI

Ageing populations in developed countries place strain on healthcare systems and when ageing populations live far away from the specialists they require to treat their chronic diseases, the logistics can be challenging to say the least. This is a particularly acute issue in Japan, which is made up of small islands. The COVID-19 pandemic has served to emphasise the need for better systems for remote medical consultations. Dr Fumiaki Nonaka at Goto Chuou Hospital and Professor Atsushi Kawakami and Dr Shinya Kawashiri at Nagasaki University Hospital have collaborated with Microsoft to create the first remote consultation systems for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that uses mixed reality. Early detection is crucial to managing RA but it is often difficult to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment of the disease in remote islands. This issue became particularly pressing in the context of COVID-19. Working with Microsoft, the researchers sought to develop a method of viewing and rendering the joints in 3D. Microsoft adapted their Azure Kinect DK cameras into a rig covering three different angles of any joint and an array of seven microphones was also installed. Using a reality headset called HoloLens2, the images of the joint can be rendered a 3D hologram to the user, enabling doctors to freely observe the joint from any direction. Combining this with Microsoft's Teams, a face-t-face consultation is facilitated.

Russian regions are to halve deficits this year

Significance Last year, these transfers hit a record level, as Moscow issued extra money to help regions cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, but this was still not enough to cover all their outgoings. Impacts Central government is to make RUB500bn loans available to less indebted regions to support investment in infrastructure. Ageing populations will necessitate higher spending on regional infrastructure in the medium-to-long term. Regions will weigh environmental, social and governance (ESG) bond issuance, as much of their spending is socially focused.

Variation in the prices of oncology medicines across Europe and the implications for the future

Introduction/Objectives: Health authorities are facing increasing challenges to the sustainability of their healthcare systems because of the growing expenditures on medicines, including new, high-priced oncology medicines, and changes in disease prevalence in their ageing populations. Medicine prices in European countries are greatly affected by the ability to negotiate reasonable prices. Concerns have been expressed that prices of patented medicines do not fall sufficiently after the introduction of lower-cost generic oncology medicines. The objective of this study was to examine the associations over time in selected European countries between the prices of oral oncology medicines, population size, and gross domestic product (GDP) before and after the introduction of generic versions. Evidence of periodic reassessments of the price, value, and place in treatment of these medicines was also looked for. The goal of this review was to stimulate debate about possible improvements in approaches to reimbursement negotiations. Methodology: Analysis was performed of reimbursed prices of three oral oncology medicines (imatinib, erlotinib and fludarabine) between 2013 and 2017 across Europe. Correlations were explored between GDP, population size, and prices. Findings were compared with previous research regarding prices of generic oral oncology medicines. Results: The prices of imatinib, erlotinib and fludarabine varied among European countries, and there was limited price erosion over time in the absence of generics. There appeared to be no correlation between population size and price, but higher prices of on-patent oral cancer medicines were seen among countries with higher GDP per capita. Conclusion: Limited price erosion for patented medicines contributed to increases in oncology medicine budgets across the region. There was also a concerning lack of evidence re-assessments of the price, value, and place in treatment of patented oncology medicines following the loss of patent protection of standard medicines. The use of such proactive re-assessments in negotiating tactics might positively impact global expenditures for oncology medicines.