Background: Among the older population, Parkinson disease (PD) stands out as a leading contributor to disability. Clinically, the foremost objectives in managing PD involve proactively delaying and preventing disability. Understanding the pivotal role of gait and balance in daily functionality holds substantial clinical significance, signaling imminent disability and prompting a reevaluation of management approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The aim of this study is to report a trial protocol for assessing the improvement of older adults' well-being, promoting active and healthy aging, and reducing the risks of social exclusion, using a virtual coach.
Background: Increased longevity brings with it reduced autonomy and independence, and it is therefore necessary to act with preventive measures that can promote active and healthy aging. With the development of technology, new tools have appeared, including virtual coaches, which can enable people to lead a healthy lifestyle by identifying individual needs and goals and providing personalized recommendations and advice.
Background: The integration of stakeholders is crucial in developing smart living technologies to support the autonomy of elderly populations. Despite the clear benefits of these technologies, there remains a significant gap in comprehensive research.
Methods: This study presents the viewpoints of 19 stakeholders from Europe and Japan, focusing on the sustainability of smart living solutions for Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA).
(1) Background: The increasing older population and demographic shifts highlight the need to understand the digital profiles of older adults, a pivotal factor in developing innovative technologies like the e-VITA virtual coach. This personalized coach provides recommendations for sustainable well-being in a smart home environment. (2) Methods: This study focuses on analyzing the characteristics of older individuals categorized as Internet users (onliners) and non-users (offliners).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Italy, many people aged over 65 cannot live independently, causing an overall decrease in their quality of life and a need for social and health care. Due to the lack of both formal and informal caregivers, technological solutions become of paramount importance in this scenario. This article describes the user-centered development of the GUARDIAN ecosystem, consisting of a social robot integrated with two mobile applications which aim to monitor, coach, and keep the older user company in order to prolong his/her independence at home.
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