Acceptance of physical activity virtual reality games by residents of long-term care facilities: A qualitative study.

Background: Little is known about the experience and the social and contextual factors influencing the acceptance of virtual reality (VR) physical activity games among long-term care (LTC) residents. Our study aims to address this research gap by investigating the unique experience of older adults with VR games. The findings will provide valuable insights into the factors influencing VR acceptance among LTC residents and help design inclusive VR technology that meets their needs and improves physical activity (PA) and well-being.

Assistive devices non-use, abandonment, or non-adherence? Toward standard terminology for assistive devices outcomes.

For individuals with disabilities, failure to use prescribed assistive technology devices (ATDs) according to professional recommendations can have detrimental health consequences. The literature has employed various terms to describe this phenomenon such as nonuse, abandonment, and non-adherence to characterize this behavior, lacking clear and standardized definitions. Consistent use of a standardized language is critical for advancing research in this area.

Implementation of digital health technologies for older adults: a scoping review.

The critical importance of technological innovation in home care for older adults is indisputable. Less well understood is the question of how to measure its performance and impact on the delivery of healthcare to older adults who are living with chronic illness and disability. Knowing how well digital technologies, such as smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and Ambient Assisted Living Technologies (AAL) systems "work" should certainly include assessing their impact on older adults' health and ability to function in daily living but that will not guarantee that it will necessarily be adopted by the user or implemented by a healthcare facility or the healthcare system.

Framework for policymaking on self-management of health by older adults using technologies.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support care management exponentially increased. Governments around the world adapted existing programs to meet the needs of patients. The reactivity of governments, however, led to changes that were inequitable, undermining groups such as older adults living with chronic diseases and disability.

Psychosocial predictors of mobility assistive devices non-adherence among older adults.

Background: Mobility assistive devices (MADs) provide support to older adults to improve their quality of life; however, research shows that as many as 75% of older adults are non-adherent to prescribed MADs. This study investigated the psychosocial factors that predict non-adherence to MADs among older adults.

Methods: A sample of Canadian older adult MADs users who resided in a long-term care facility was included.

Acceptance of physical activity virtual reality games by residents of long-term care facilities: a scoping review.

Purpose: This scoping review aims to identify evidence on older adults' acceptance of PA VR games in LTC facilities, describe research designs used, define key acceptance concepts, and identify knowledge gaps for future research.

Materials And Methods: Following Arksey and O'Malley's framework, data from published and unpublished articles (Jan 2000-May 2023) were collected. Twelve databases and additional sources were searched for studies on LTC residents (≥65 years), PA video games (including VR and console games), acceptance, and attitudes.

Assessing virtual reality acceptance in long-term care facilities: a quantitative study with older adults.

Purpose: Our study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the acceptance of virtual reality (VR) games among older adults living in LTC, with a particular emphasis on identifying social and individual factors that have been overlooked in existing technology acceptance models.

Materials And Methods: We conducted VR gaming sessions, followed by a composite questionnaire to explore the factors associated with the acceptance of VR games among residents of LTC with a focus on technology acceptance models (TAM) and social factors derived from Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) theory and Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST).

Results: We studied 20 older adults aged 65 and older.

Applying the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify police, fire, and paramedic preferences for accessing mental health care in a First Responder Operational Stress Injury Clinic: a qualitative study.

Introduction: First responders and other public safety personnel (PSP; e.g. correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators) are often exposed to events that have the potential to be psychologically traumatizing.

Policymaker perspectives on self-management of disease and disabilities using information and communication technologies.

Background: Policies that support health self-management are malleable and highly dependent on various factors that influence governments. Within a world that is shifting toward digitalization due to pressures such as the COVID-19 pandemic and labor shortages, policymaking on older adults' self-management of chronic diseases and disability using information and communication technologies (ICTs) needs to be better understood. Using the province of Ontario, in Canada, as a case study, the research question was What is the environment that policymakers must navigate through in development and implementation of policies related to older adults' self-management of disease and disability using information and communication technologies (ICTs)?

Methods: This study used a qualitative approach where public servants from 4 ministries within the government of Ontario were invited to participate in a 1-h, one-on-one, semi-structured interview.

Evolution of public health policy on healthcare self-management: the case of Ontario, Canada.

Background: As people live longer, they are at increased risk for chronic diseases and disability. Self-management is a strategy to improve health outcomes and quality of life of those who engage in it. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the factors, including digital technology, that affect public health policy on self-management through an analysis of government policy in the most populous and multicultural province in Canada: Ontario.

Evidence and User Considerations of Home Health Monitoring for Older Adults: Scoping Review.

Background: Home health monitoring shows promise in improving health outcomes; however, navigating the literature remains challenging given the breadth of evidence. There is a need to summarize the effectiveness of monitoring across health domains and identify gaps in the literature. In addition, ethical and user-centered frameworks are important to maximize the acceptability of health monitoring technologies.

Multilevel barriers to using assistive technology devices among older hispanics from poor and disadvantaged communities: the relevance of a gender analysis.

Purpose: To get a rich description of the barriers to using assistive technology (AT) among men and women ≥65 years living in poor and disadvantaged communities in Puerto Rico, an issue not well described among older people.

Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews assisted by videos of AT and guided by the Matching Person and Technology Model and the Gender Analysis Framework with a purposive sample of 23 men and women. Participants were asked questions regarding reasons for not using AT, willingness for using AT, their identified gender roles and gender-related activities, and bargaining positions.

The role of assistive technology in addressing social isolation, loneliness and health inequities among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: Assistive technology (AT) is an effective tool to promote social connectedness among older adults affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, its role in reducing loneliness and health inequities is not well understood. The goal of this scoping review was to construct a model for how technologies may be deployed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation, loneliness and health inequities for older adults.

Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS and PsychINFO were searched from 2010 to 2020 for the following keywords: "social isolation," "loneliness," "social support," "resilience," "technology," "pandemic" and "health inequit*.

Sex disparities in the prevalence of physical function disabilities: a population-based study in a low-income community.

Background: Functional disability continues to be a significant public health problem that increases older adults' vulnerability to experience a diminished quality of life, loss of independence, higher healthcare costs and health services utilization, and increased risks of mortality. Thus, we aimed to study the prevalence of functional disabilities by sex according to the types of daily living activities, controlling for specific sociodemographic variables among older Hispanics from low-income communities.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional epidemiological research design, considering a complex sampling design of households to interview adults ≥65 years living in low-income communities in Puerto Rico.

Caregivers' Role in Cybersecurity for Aging Information Technology Users with Intellectual Disabilities.

Information technology (IT) users with intellectual disabilities (ID) are likely to experience online privacy violations without adequate support from their caregivers. Given that aging users face additional challenges when using IT than their younger counterparts, the goal of this exploratory study is to investigate caregivers' strategies and barriers for helping to protect the privacy of aging IT users with ID. Six caregivers (four paid caregivers, two family members) of aging users with ID completed a series of six focus groups about their experiences assisting the people they support with using IT, including their strategies and barriers for helping to protect these users' privacy.

Collaborative engagement of Hispanic communities in the planning, conducting, and dissemination of assistive technology research.

Introduction: Community engagement (CE) is critical for research on the adoption and use of assistive technology (AT) in many populations living in resource-limited environments. Few studies have described the process that was used for engaging communities in AT research, particularly within low-income communities of older Hispanic with disabilities where limited access, culture, and mistrust must be navigated. We aimed to identify effective practices to enhance CE of low-income Hispanic communities in AT research.

Understanding the Multilevel Disability Self-Management Strategies of Puerto Rican Older Men.

Aims: To explore the person, environment, and occupation-related self-management strategies used by older Hispanic men to cope with disabilities in different types of daily activities.

Methods: A concurrent transformative mixed method design (with priority given to the qualitative phase) guided by the Environment and Occupational Performance Model was used to collect and analyze data of 12 participants with functional disabilities. Quantitative data was gathered using the PROMIS Physical Function Short Form-20.

Older adults' use of an online decision support system: Usability and stability of assistive technology recommendations.

Unlabelled: Online decision support systems (DSS) may help older adults self-select assistive technology (AT) by offering recommendations. User interactions with DSSs may change the recommendations they receive.

Objective: We evaluated recommendations stability and usability of an online DSS.

Towards improving the quality of assistive technology outcomes research.

Background: The Assistive Technology Device Outcomes Research (ATDOR) checklist was developed as a reporting guideline for researchers to enhance the quality of research in this field. The checklist contains 13 items that cover outcome domains unique to assistive technology devices (ATDs). The ATDOR was intended to be an adjunct to existing publication guidelines for outcomes research.

Assistive Device Use among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Profile of Canadians Using Hearing, Vision, and Mobility Devices in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

There is increasing recognition that using assistive devices can support healthy aging. Minimizing discomfort and loss of function and increasing independence can have a substantial impact physically, psychologically, and financially on persons with functional impairments and resulting activity limitations, as well as on caregivers and communities. However, it remains unclear who uses assistive devices and how device use can influence social participation.

Toward guidelines for reporting assistive technology device outcomes.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and pilot-test reporting guidelines for manuscripts describing studies of assistive technology device outcomes, with the hopes of improving the overall quality of research in this field.

Methods: The research is presented in two stages. In Stage 1, a literature review was completed to identify the essential components of a conceptual framework for reporting guidelines and to create a checklist.

Comparing Assessments of Physical Functional Independence in Older Adults With Mobility Limitations.

Objectives: The aims of the study were (1) to assess the agreement and correlation between self-reported functional independence and observations of family caregivers in a heterogeneous population of community-dwelling older adults with disabilities and (2) to determine how self-reports and caregiver reports correlate with evaluator rated functional independence over time.

Design: Data were drawn from a larger, randomized controlled trial examining the effects of a caregiver-inclusive intervention on outcomes of care recipients and their family caregivers. Functional independence measures were obtained using a self-report version of the Functional Independence Measure (care recipient self-reported Functional Independence Measure, caregiver self-reported Functional Independence Measure) and the Functional Autonomy Measurement System (evaluator perspective).

Long-term effect of community-based continence promotion on urinary symptoms, falls and healthy active life expectancy among older women: cluster randomised trial.

Background: The long-term effectiveness of group continence promotion delivered via community organisations on female urinary incontinence, falls and healthy life expectancy remains unknown.

Methods: A pragmatic cluster randomised trial was conducted among 909 women aged 65-98 years with urinary incontinence, recruited from 377 community organisations in the UK, Canada and France. A total of 184 organisations were randomised to an in-person 60-min incontinence self-management workshop (461 participants), and 193 to a control healthy ageing workshop (448 participants).

Reliability, convergent validity and applicability of the Assistive Technology Outcome Profile for Mobility for middle-aged and older power wheelchair users.

Background/aim: The Assistive Technology Outcome Profile for Mobility (ATOP/M) was designed to isolate the impact of mobility assistive technology on perceived difficulty with activity and participation. The study objectives were to examine its measurement properties (test-retest reliability and convergent validity) and applicability for middle-aged and older power wheelchair (PWC) users.

Methods: Four ATOP/M subscales were administered using computer adaptive testing (activity with mobility device, activity without mobility device, participation with mobility device, participation without mobility device).

Understanding adherence to assistive devices among older adults: a conceptual review.

The aim of this study was to identify and examine how existing literature has conceptualized adherence to assistive devices (ADs) among older adults. English articles were searched in MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL (January 1990 to October 2017) for the key words "acceptance", "adherence", "assistive devices", "compliance", "concept," and relevant synonyms. Bibliographies of selected articles were also examined.