JMIR Aging

Spatial navigation impairment is prevalent in people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may appear in its initial clinical stage. To detect this deficit in people at risk may not only help to prevent them from getting lost or going missing, but also provide a useful clinical aid to accurate diagnosis. Traditional assessments for spatial navigation impairment include questionnaires, paper pencil and maze tests, or video games. While a real-world setting is more valid, direct, and accurate, it is plagued by unpredictable conditions such as weather, obstacles, or accidents. Thanks to modern technology, virtual reality (VR) offers a new way to test spatial navigation impairment.

Knowledge about how older adults walk is crucial for effective prevention and treatment of various mobility issues, as well as treatment evaluation, but is to date largely limited to lab-based measurements. Although this provides relevant information about what older adults can do under standardized conditions, it does not give insight into how they actually walk in their daily life, a gap that needs to be addressed urgently.

The medication management process in Resident Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) is complex and can be labor intensive. In 2019, a non-government organization led by pharmacists with special interest in informatics developed the SafeMed Medication Management System (SMMS®), which is a digital web-based system that integrates electronic medical profiles and medication profiles to revamp the traditional manual medication management process in RCHEs in Hong Kong.

Apathy is common among older adults residing in long-term care (LTC) and impairs quality of life for both older adults and care providers. Few pharmacological remedies exist, and nonpharmacologic approaches that engage those with apathy require extensive personnel time. Thus, technological approaches have been encouraged, including virtual reality (VR) and socially assistive robots (SAR). Despite a growing interest in their use, input from older adults and staff is often absent in their design. Involving older adults in the development of interactive health technologies is necessary to enhance the functionality, usability, and likelihood of promoting the intended health outcomes.

Virtual reality (VR) technology is increasingly applied in aging-related research. While existing bibliometric studies have focused on specific applications, such as older adults' acceptance of VR and its use in cognitive rehabilitation, no comprehensive mapping of the global research landscape on VR for older populations has been conducted. This study fills this gap by providing a holistic bibliometric and thematic analysis of VR applications in older adults, mapping research trends, intellectual structures, and emerging frontiers.

Frailty screening for older adults is of particular importance for those with declining health and social risk factors. However, numerous screening tools developed to assess frailty currently available do not offer automated appraisal in the clinical setting largely due to the challenges of data collection and the complexity of existing approaches. Thus, further adjustment and adaptation are required to correctly identify frailty. Although routine frailty screening is sporadic and inconsistently implemented, elements of frailty are captured in the electronic health record (EHR) from hospital admissions data.

Research has revealed potential links between specific dietary habits and accelerated aging. However, most studies focus only on singular diets or lack ethnic diversity.

Dementia is a global health priority. Early identification in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic individuals (ie, dementia risk detection) is proposed as a clinical solution for early intervention and could support researchers to identify novel neuropathological targets and recruit to clinical trials. Digital biomarkers of behavioral or physiological markers, including sleep, are cited as a potential low-cost, noninvasive, and objective method for dementia risk detection. Understanding perspectives on digital biomarkers, particularly acceptability, from potential end users and clinical staff is required when considering implementation within any clinical service. With emerging evidence of sleep as a risk marker for dementia, the efficacy of the Dementia Research Institute Sleep Index (DRI-SI), based on continuous remote monitoring of sleep patterns detected by a digital sleep mat, for dementia risk detection, is currently being explored by the InSleep46 study.

Falls are a major cause of disability among older adults, and early identification of functional decline is essential for prevention. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems may enhance mobility screening by providing objective, real-time feedback.

Loneliness has emerged as a global public health issue, with recent data indicating that 27.6% of adults aged 65 to 80 report feelings of loneliness despite the post-pandemic resumption of social activities. Older caregivers face unique challenges that may exacerbate feelings of loneliness due to the demanding nature of caregiving responsibilities. While Internet use has been suggested as a potential intervention to reduce loneliness, its moderating effect on the relationship between caregiving-related health effects and loneliness remains understudied.

Assistive technologies (AT) are used increasingly in community settings to assist in the care of older adults. Despite a rapid increase in the capabilities and uptake of these technologies, gaps remain in understanding main barriers to their usage.

Digital inclusion has become increasingly important in promoting healthy aging, yet its association with mental health among older adults appears complex and heterogeneous. The role of cognitive function as a moderator and the underlying mechanisms remain understudied.