Check out my guest blog (5/7/2011) on Laurie Orlov’s Aging in Place Technology Watch entitled: The Research is In (Part I): What Makes Tech Work for Seniors in the Home summarizing recent studies. I presented this info last week at the 2011 ASA Aging in America Conference along with Laurie and Susan Estrada of Happy@Home.
Part II, the practical side, will be coming soon!
Relief, some practical advice. Last but not least at ASA last Saturday was the session that Laurie Orlov of Aging in Place Technology Watch had invited me and my comrade Susan Estradaof Aldea Communications and Happy@Home to participate in, “Technology for Seniors at Home: Who and What Makes it Work“. Despite the timing of the session, we had a good time sharing our message with an intrepid passle of supporters including folks from a wide range of aging services organizations. I think these folks were relieved that someone was finally going to provide a few practical suggestions. “The Research” is Part I of a two piece blog on who makes technology work (or not work for that matter). Part II will be more on the practical side.
The research is compelling. Several recent studies point to the fact that family caregivers will embrace technology if they can just get a little support from an aging services professional. First and foremost is the recently published National Association of Caregivers eConnected Family Caregiver. Family caregivers were asked to rank a list of technologies as to how helpful they were and whether there were barriers to adoption. They liked but identified barriers to adopting technologies such as chronic disease monitors (e.g. Health Buddy, Ideal Life, etc.), video phones (e.g. ASUS Skype Phone, Skype on a computer with a simplified interface), interactive engagement software (e.g. interactive games like Dakim, audiobooks). Family caregivers were also asked what the top influences on technology selection were, and guess what? Top on the list is (and I quote), “a health professional who is involved with you or your [relation] telling you it would be helpful”. Second was a “how-to explanation showing that it is very simple to install and use”. Technology companies should hear this loud and clear – aging services professionals who know about your technology can be beneficial to your bottom line.
Gotta love the Center for Technology and Aging. I am sooo lucky to live in the same city (Oakland, which otherwise sometimes has a bad name). These folks are working so hard on their fabulous grant program, traveling around the country giving presentations, and creating and overseeing peer reviewed journal issues — that they barely have time to eat. They recently published two issues of the journal Ageing International devoted to guess what subject? (Answer: Tech and Aging!). Two articles in particular stand out to me. First is CTA’s own ADOPT for Aging Services Model: AcceleratingDiffusion of Proven Technologies. ADOPT is a conceptual model where seven technology diffusion strategies are identified: Design User-Friendly, Relevant Technology; Establish Technology Value; Create Business Model; Promote Technology; Form Partnerships; Identify Technology Champions; and Coach Users. To reach the goal of widespread health outcome improvement and promotion of independent living tech, a group of “Collaborators” (aging technology developers and individuals who work directly with older adults) need to implement the seven suggested strategies. Their main point is that ADOPTION of technology is the first step towards DIFFUSION.
She is a DIVA. Who, you might ask? Diane Feeney Mahoney, Professor of Geriatric Nursing at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. She has devoted her career to developing innovative ways to use telecommunication-based technologies with frail and cognitively impaired older adults and their family caregivers. Why do the non-academics not know about her? I don’t know, I follow her every move (guess I’m a closet academic)! I’ll share more about that some other time. In the article “An Evidence-Based Adoption of Technology Model for Remote Monitoring of Elders’ Daily Activities” in the Ageing International set edited by the CTA folks, Dr. Mahoney creates an extremely practical model based upon her years of research. From my (non-evidence based) experience, I suggest that the Mahoney Model (my moniker) should be applied to any technology for aging in place situation. Key to adoption of technology is a facilitator (the aging services professional, a family or professional caregiver) who is willing to learn about and use the product, has the ability to perceive the benefits, and can tailor the product to personal needs. Other considerations of this model are affordability, the issue of safety vs. independence, privacy, liability, and whether the tech is compatible with the end user’s culture. The facilitator must be able to derail perceived barriers (including privacy concerns, intrusiveness, workload, too many alerts, liability) and make sure that technologies are working well to avoid dissatisfaction and therefore rejection.
In case you haven’t figured it out, there is a general thread running through all of the above. Family caregivers want aging professionals (e.g. Care Managers, Case Managers, Discharge Planners, and folks from all aging services organizations listed in our local Area Agencies on Aging) to know enough about products so that they can support the family caregiver. They also want easy-to-install products. Both models involve a champion or facilitator who perceives the need, understands the benefits/advantages, has proficiency to be trained, and the ability to tailor the technology to the client so that the technology works well and is thereby accepted. This requires partnership and collaboration and perhaps new business models.
21st Century Care Solutions 