Gerontechnology:past, present, future

Herman Bouma

Gerontology and Technology

The origin of gerontechnology is in the demographic increase of older people in many countries who have to live in a society with ever new technological innovations

Situation 1990 (past)(start of Gerontechnology)

Technology & Ageing 1990 (1)

Research & Development:

Ergonomics/Human Factors and ageing

Aids for the handicapped

Professional tools (Care, Medicine)

Technology & Ageing 1990 (2)General beliefs and attitudesAged as a category of people Aged associated with poor health, handicapsAged people are afraid of technologyWhy bother aged people with technology

Technology & Ageing 1990 (3)Selection of available products

Home: kitchen tools, safety illumination, active alarms, power tools, fixed telephoneMobility: rollator/walker; time table public transportPrevention: healthy diet, home trainer Care: powered lifting

Gerontechnology: developments 1990-present

Activities GerontechnologyInternational conferences: 1991 Eindhoven, 1996

Helsinki, 1999 Munich, 2002 Miami, 2005 Nagoya, 2008 PisaInternational Society for Gerontechnology ISG (as from 1997)Quarterly journal Gerontechnology (as from 2001)Discussion website 2005Regional ISG Chapters: Japan 2006, Netherlands/Flandres 2007Master Classes Netherlands 2006,

GerontologyDemography:65+ increasing toward 25%Extensive diversity:(not averages but spread)Health: (e.g. serious restrictions) Family situationFinancial situationGeneral life experience (generation)Individual life experience (education, skills)

TechnologyHighly dynamic, largely uncontrolledProducts, services, infrastructureOngoing innovation Ongoing miniaturisationEmbedded logicMass production Mass distributionGlobalization

Gerontology & Technologysimultaneous, but disconnected

Older people disregarding new technology (unnecessary, too complex)Technological innovations ignoring older

people (functionality, user interface, design, marketing)

Why ageing people need technology innovations

For supporting and extending independenceFor communicating with social environment\For realising ambitions For compensating receding skillsFor effective care support

Gerontechnology: concerted action

Two interwoven types of study:

Ageing people are studied as members of the dynamic technological society (gerontology)

Innovations are studied for enriching the lives of ageing people (technology)

Gerontechnology: definition

The study of technology and ageing for ensuring

an optimal technological environmentfor ageing people up to a high age

Disciplines of Gerontology

Biology and Physiology

Psychology and Social Psychology

Sociology and Demography

Medicine and Rehabilitation

Disciplines of Technology

Architecture and Building

Information and Communication

Mechatronics and Robotics

Industrial Design

Gerontechnology Interdiscipline Matrix

Technology Disciplines

Gerontology

Disciplines

Architecture

& Building

Information & Communicat-

ion

Mechatronics& Robotics

Industrial Design

….

Biology

Physiology

Psychology

Social Psychology

Sociology

Demography

Medicine

Rehabilitation

Gerontechnology interdisciplinaryResearch and development (R&D) of

Gerontechnology is essentially interdisciplinary between any of the

sciences of human aging (gerontology) and any of the sciences of technology

Successful ageing

Healthy nutrition/diet

Daily physical activity

Regular mental activity

Maintaining social contacts

Goals of Gerontechnology(1)

(Geron)technology is not an independent goal as such (Geron)technology is supportive of the goals of ageing people

Goals of Gerontechnology (2)

Enhancement and Satisfaction

Prevention and Engagement

Compensation and Assistance

Care Support and Organisation

Domains of daily lifeHealth & Self-esteem

Housing & Daily living

Mobility & Transport

Communication & Governance

Work & Leisure

Gerontechnology Impact matrix Life Domain

Health &

Self-

esteem

Housing &

Daily living

Mobility &

Transport

Communication & Governance

Work &

Leisure

GoalEnhancement

& Satisfaction

Prevention &

Engagement

.

Compensation

& Assistance

Care support& Organisation

Gerontechnology Impact matrix

Selection of Potential Applications 1990

Life DomainHealth &

Self-

esteem

Housing &

Daily living

Mobility &

Transport

Communication & Governance

Work &

Leisure

GoalEnhancement

& Satisfaction

Kitchen tools Timetable Power tools

Prevention &

Engagement

Healthy Diet

Home trainer

Safety illumination

Fixed telephone Focused lighting

Compensation

& Assistance

Active alarms

ADL/IADL Rollator/Walker Hearing aids Power tools

Care support& Organisation

Powered lifting

Gerontechnology Impact matrix

Selection of potential applications 1990+, 2000+

Life domainHealth &

Self-esteem

Housing &

Daily living

Mobility &

Transport

Communication & Governance

Work &

Leisure

GoalEnhancement

& Satisfaction

Telemedicine

Internet/www

Kitchen tools Wireless/remote

Timetable

GPS navigation

Info publ.transp

Mobile phone

E-mail, www

Digital camera

www

Prevention &

Engagement

Healthy diet

Home trainer

Safety illumin Smart ventil..

Car automation

Dynamic Traffic info

Fixed telephone

Video Links (webcam)

Focussed

lighting

Compensation

& Assistance

Active alarms

Passive

alarms

ADL/IADL

Smart IADL

Rollator/walker

Battery- wheelchair

Hearing Aids

Directional hearing aids

Power tools

Robot pet

Care support& Organisation

Smart intake

Control-PDA

Telecare

Electronic keys Powered lifting Care Networks

Video links

Gerontechnology: recent insights(1)

Physiology: role of anti-oxydants in prevention

Psychology: concept of situated learning logic of temporal discounting

Gerontechnology: recent insights (2)

Social Psychology: focus on ‘motivation’concept of intertemporal discounting

Sociology: concept of technology generations

Industrial Design: Inclusive Design, education

Gerontechnology: recent insights (3)

Ageing: development process rather than aged as static category

Ageing persons actors of their own lives rather than passive receivers of care and

helpSpecific restrictions to be compensated

rather than ‘the handicapped’

Gerontechnology: recent insights (4)

Directed toward fulfilling ambitions and needs Focus on early measures of pro-active preventionDistinction between ‘third age’ (independent) and ‘fourth age’(care dependent)

Gerontechnology: the future

The unknown future (1)Technology: expected innovations Ever more virtual worldsRobots for house and garden,Navigation tools for city walking Domotics (integrated solutions)Telecare, telemedicineNew materials (e.g. flexible displays, LEDs)Embedded logic (smart products)Innovative implants (limbs, hearing, vision,)New memory supports.

The unknown future (2)Gerontology Expected InsightsPhysiology: Nutrients, disease agentsPsychology: Dealing with virtual realitiesSocial Psychology: virtual communitiesSociology: New generation of ageing people

(healthier, better educated, assertive, however: large spread continues)E-communication becoming the norm

Conclusion (1)The generations of ageing people deserve a

share in technological innovations contributing to independence and quality of

Life

Technology innovations (R,D, and D)have started to take the ‘market segment of

ageing people’ seriously

Conclusion (2) By professional, interdisciplinary efforts Gerontechnology is contributing to a full

share of ageing citizens in the technological society