JMIR Aging

Despite positive results of use of assistive technologies (ATs) in dementia, the uptake of AT lags behind. It is considered important to assess determinants of (un)successful implementation of AT.

Current clinical guidelines for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in older adults recommend the use of antihyperglycemic medications, monitoring of blood glucose levels, regular exercise, and a healthy diet to improve glycemic control and reduce associated comorbidities. However, adherence to traditional exercise programs is poor (<35%). Common barriers to adherence include fear of hypoglycemia and the need for blood glucose level monitoring before exercise. Digital health strategies offer great promise for managing T2DM as they facilitate patient-practitioner communication, support self-management, and improve access to health care services for underserved populations. We have developed a novel web-based software program allowing practitioners to create tailored interventions and deliver them to patients via digital voice assistants (DVAs) in their own homes.

Maintaining exercise is essential for healthy aging but difficult to sustain. EngAGE is a socially motivated exercise program delivered over a voice-activated device that targets older adult–care partner dyads.

Chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) is a major health issue among the older population, affecting multiple aspects of individual functioning. Recently, the use of eHealth solutions has been proposed in supporting chronic pain self-management even among older adults, although some barriers have emerged. Few qualitative studies, with none conducted in Mediterranean countries, have explored older people’s experiences and perceptions regarding the types of strategies used to cope with chronic pain and eHealth tools for chronic pain management.

Older adults discharged from the emergency department (ED) face elevated risk of falls and functional decline. Smartphones might enable remote monitoring of mobility after ED discharge, yet their application in this context remains underexplored.

Background In our aging population, primary care is under pressure to remain accessible to all. Effective usage of digital healthcare could potentially lower general practitioners’ (GPs) workload. Some general practices are already implementing a digital health platform as a primary method to contact their patients. However, it is unknown how older people experience this novel way to communicate with their GP.

Long-term care (LTC) homes face the challenges of increasing care needs of residents and a shortage of health care providers. Literature suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled robots may solve such challenges and support person-centered care. There is a dearth of literature exploring the perspectives of health care providers, which are crucial to implementing AI-enabled robots.

Assistive technology is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable for supporting people with dementia and their care partners living at home, with strong potential for technology-based prompting to assist with initiation and tracking of complex, multistep activities of daily living. However, there is limited direct comparison of different prompt features to guide optimal technology design.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rapid adoption of telehealth care services as a public health strategy to maintain access to essential health care. In Australia, there has been increasing optimism for the expansion of telehealth services. However, little is known about the patterns and determinants of telehealth adoption among older adults, with concerns that an expansion of telehealth services may only be of benefit to those who already have better access to health care.

With the aging global population and the rising burden of Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs), there is a growing focus on identifying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to enable timely interventions that could potentially slow down the onset of clinical dementia. The production of speech by an individual is a cognitively complex task that engages various cognitive domains. The ease of audio data collection highlights the potential cost-effectiveness and noninvasive nature of using human speech as a tool for cognitive assessment.

eHealth literacy is an essential skill for pursuing electronic health information, particularly for older people whose health needs increase with age. South Korea is now at the intersection of a rapidly digitalising society and an increasingly aged population. eHealth literacy enables older people to maximize the effective utilization of emerging digital technology for their health and quality of life. Understanding the eHealth literacy of Korean older adults is critical to eliminating the grey digital divide and inequity in health information access.

As the aging population in the United States continues to increase rapidly, preserving the mobility and independence of older adults becomes increasingly critical for enabling aging in place successfully. While personal vehicular transport remains a popular choice among this demographic due to its provision of independence and control over their lives, age-related changes may heighten the risk of common driving errors and diminish driving abilities.