Gerontechnology and age diversity

Abstract

Purpose: In studies of older adults, research design still often describes ages 55+ as the target group. This is controversial for several reasons. Life expectancy in western countries, as well as the number of healthy years, has increased significantly. Statistics show that commonly the age when some kind of support is required is 75+. Research also shows that attitudes, preferences, and the use of technology are different in different age groups. More focus should therefore be put on research designs in which the target group reports a need for support in their daily life. Method: The data for this paper were gathered from Finnish project User Centered Technology for Elderly People and Care Givers (KÄKÄTE). Two surveys (n = 1265) have been done by interviews with a structured questionnaire of people in the age range 55 to 89 years. Results & Discussion: The goal of the KÄKÄTE Project is to determine how technology can be used to support older people in their homes and to assist caregivers in their work. The need for better usability and for devices and applications that are easier to use has been recognized for many years, and many worthwhile improvements have been introduced. However, wider and more successful adoption of technology into supportive use in daily life has been fairly slow. This paper proposes that one crucial reason for this is that the age diversity within older people is not fully understood. The age diversity of older people must be taken into consideration and manifested in future research design, if there is to be full participation by the elderly in technology developments, and if these technology developments are to contribute to the independence of all age groups of older people.