Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Technology
Podcasting: An effective way to tell your story and share industry-related information by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Podcasting, a medium that has been around for more than 20 years, is enjoying a renaissance. ...In its coverage of the Hot Pod Summit, a gathering of key podcast industry decision-makers, Fast Company stated we are in the "golden age" of podcasting. In a recent report, "The Podcast Consumer 2018," Edison Research documented that among monthly podcast listeners, 34% are ages 18-34; 36%, 35-54; and 19%, 55 and older. These data suggest that podcasts have the potential to reach both industry staff and consumers. Further, in its summary, Edison Research notes, "There is tremendous opportunity to grow with persons 55+." Recognizing the potential, three industry organizations recently launched podcasts. The Journal on Active Aging interviewed the professionals involved to learn why and how they started their podcasts, and what the feedback has been so far.
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The tech connection: Alleviating loneliness as we age by Stephanie Ludwig, MDiv, MA, PhD
"Loneliness breaks the spirit," goes the old Jewish proverb. We are wired to be connected, and miserable when we are not. Although the sense of disengagement from others that characterizes loneliness is painful at any time in life, such disconnection can feel acutely unbearable as we age. ...To keep older adults connected to family and social networks, technologies on the market and in development can help reduce any associated loneliness. This includes both high-tech and low-tech solutions.
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Taming the tech tidal wave by Tony Galvan, MS
The intersection of technology and senior living is here today and as time passes, communities, along with the organizations that mange them, are needing to come up with practical, multifaceted strategies to approach this "tidal wave of tech." Whereas some tech-based solutions have been in existence for years--if not also decades--many technologies are still much in their infancy. This makes this space both exciting and overwhelming as senior living providers must strike a balance between meeting the needs of current and future residents while also creating an advantage in competitive marketplaces.
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Autonomous vehicles: Driving independence, mobility and wellness in active-aging communities by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Autonomous (self-driving) vehicles represent a growing trend that now is emerging in the active-aging market--with a difference. Unlike high-profile self-driving cars that operate on main thoroughfares, the autonomous vehicles being tested in senior living communities stay within the boundaries of the community, operating on preplanned routes. Such was the case for Lendlease-owned Elliot Gardens, a retirement community located in Port Elliot, South Australia, that recently served as a testing ground for a two-month study with Aurrigo Pty Ltd. ....
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MusicGlove: New robotics facilitate hand rehabilitation in stroke survivors by Marilynn Larkin, MA
As authors of a recent editorial ... report, the increase in older adult numbers will be accompanied by an anticipated 55% increase in the total number of annual stroke cases by 2030. In the United States alone, more than 700,000 people sustain a stroke each year; importantly, about two-thirds of these individuals survive and require rehabilitation, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Yet six months after stroke, about 65% of patients still cannot incorporate the affected hand into their usual activities. Authors of a recent review of hand rehabilitation robotics for stroke survivors note that "recovery of hand function is one of the most challenging topics in stroke rehabilitation," largely because of the flexibility and complexity of the hand and the brain's motor cortex. ... [S]ome researchers are turning to technology for solutions, developing devices that motivate people to do the required exercises while helping to ensure that those exercises are performed correctly. One such device is MusicGlove.
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Penn State Center for Healthy Aging: Putting technology to work for older adults by Marilynn Larkin, MA
It's no secret in the medical community that dementia tests are often wrong. In fact, a recent study found that results of three tests commonly used in primary care settings are frequently inaccurate and may incorrectly identify someone as having dementia, or not. That study pointed to flaws in the tests themselves-biases that led to misclassification based on factors such as age, education and ethnicity. Yet any test that's given in a laboratory or physician's office can't ensure that the results seen in the testing environment are similar to what happens in real life, states Martin Sliwinski, PhD, director of Penn State University's Center for Healthy Aging. ... So Sliwinski and his team began studying the feasibility of doing ambulatory assessments of cognitive function in an individual's natural environment.
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