Potholes in the road to efficient gerontechnology use in elderly care work

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) including safety alarm technologies is increasing. Its influence on service personnel in elderly care has implications on the possibilities of rooting technological innovations into care work. Human impact assessment methodologies have been employed to assess competence related to technology use, needs for orientation into technology use, and well-being of care personnel. Safety alarms are considered useful both for actual care work and for the administrative part of the care organization. Care personnel appeared not to be fully informed as to technical characteristics and the resulting organizational changes. At individual and work community levels regular human impact assessment of new technologies may stimulate their adoption by the professional carers. This chapter is based on empirical research in a large research and development project in Finland. The research focused on safety telephones and high-tech well-being wristbands. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.