SUPPORTING OLDER LOW-âSES ADULTS AND THEIR ... aging in place technologies for low-âSES, urban-â ... 1. Deploy tec
Preven&on
Aging in Place
Chronic Disease Management
SOLACE
SUPPORTING OLDER LOW-‐SES ADULTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS ELECTRONICALLY Faculty: Kay Connelly & Kelly Caine Students: Ginger White, Robyn Evans and Morgan Soladine
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under award number IIS-1117860
Lower Socio-‐Economic Status Rural • 1/5 of elders • More likely to live alone aLer age 75 • Have lower incomes • Report worse health status • Highest risk of requiring long-‐term care
Urban • Low-‐SES urban: – High rates of func&onal loss – Poorer overall health outcomes
Goals • Objec>ve 1: to customize a suite of exis>ng aging in place technologies for low-‐SES, urban-‐ and rural-‐dwelling older adults. – What resource limita>ons are there for the two popula>ons to use the chosen technologies? – How can we adapt the exis>ng prototypes to work robustly in the target environments?
Goals • Objec>ve 2: to evaluate how well the suite of exis>ng aging in place technologies supports the needs of low-‐SES, urban-‐ and rural-‐ dwelling older adults. – What are the relevant differences and similari>es between urban-‐ and rural-‐dwelling older adults? – Which design insights for technologies designed to support aging in place are common to other older adult popula>ons and which are specific to urban-‐ and rural-‐dwelling older adults?
Overview of SOLACE Research Plan Year 1: Needs Assessment 1. day long contextual observa&ons 2. focus groups
Year 2: Implementa&on & Pilot 1. Adapt exis&ng and develop new prototypes 2. Pilot technologies in-‐situ
Year 3: Summa&ve Evalua&on 1. Deploy technologies in 32 homes for 6 weeks
Ini&al Results Insights • Rural/urban differences in – Transporta&on – Built environment – Daily rou&nes
• Rich insights into – How they came to be low-‐SES – A]achments to homes – Rituals
Lessons Learned • Recruitment in rural se^ngs takes a long &me!
