gerontechnology research: opportunity in a rapidly growing field
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Gerontechnology Research: Opportunity in a Rapidly Growing Field. Barbara A. Thomas, RN, MA, MS, FNP Westchester Community College, NY Division of Natural and Health Science Associate Professor, Nursing. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Barbara A. Thomas, RN, MA, MS, FNP Westchester Community College, NY Division of Natural and Health Science
Associate Professor, Nursing
Gerontechnology Research: Opportunity in a Rapidly Growing
Field
Janna Heyman, MSW, PhD Fordham University, NY
Associate Director, Ravazzin Center on Aging
Associate Professor
Jean F. Coppola, BS, MS, MS, PhD Pace University, NY
Seidenberg School of Computer Science& Information Systems Associate Professor,
Information Technology
Lin J. Drury, PhD, RN Pace University, NY
Lienhard School of Nursing Associate Professor, Nursing
Colette Phipps, LMSW Westchester County , NY
Department of Senior Programs & Services Deputy Executive Director, Livable Communities
Director, Westchester Alliance Academic Institutions for Aging Related Studies
and Workforce Development
Sharon Stahl Wexler, PhD, RN, BCPace University, NY
Lienhard School of Nursing Assistant Professor, Nursing
Terminology: => Gerontechnology or Gerotechnology
Study of technology for the improvement of daily functions of the elderly Coined by Jan Graafmans of Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands in 1989 First book devoted to the new field was published in 1992
Gerontechnology
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Course that: Engages Students in Service-Learning Develops Appreciation & Understanding the Process of Aging & its Limitations
Entices Older Adults with Technologyto Ultimately Improve their Quality of Life GerontechnologyCopyright 2011 (c) J. Coppola & B. Thomas 3
“Intergenerational Computing”
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The literature says:
Comunicación y Gerencia
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Older Adults who use technology
More positive outlook on life Greater Sense of Emotional
Well Being & Self Worth Increased Cognitive
FunctioningDecreased Levels of Depression
Reduced Isolation by Offering a Means of Social
Interaction and Mental Stimulation
Comunicación y Gerencia
The literature says:David C. Burdick & Sunkyo Kwon, Gerotechnology, Springer
20046
1) As you have aged, list the physical changes that are beginning to hinder your use of technology, i.e., computer, PDAs, digital media devices, etc.
2) Be honest - just write your age down! 3) What do you fear the most about the aging
process?
Background: My Second Home,
Intergenerational Adult Day Care Center - March 2005
TV Clip – March 6, 2006 “Take Your Grandparents to
Work Day – in Reverse” Partnered with IBM & Local County Government Office of Senior Programs & Services
Kept in touch with RepsCopyright 2011 (c) J. Coppola & B. Thomas
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Intergenerational Computing !!!
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Intergenerational
Computing!
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Beginning Collaborations :• Contact Government Office of Aging• Westchester County Department of Senior
Programs & Services• Medicare Part D• Pre-White House Conference on Aging• By 2020, persons aged 60+ are expected to
comprise 22% of the population• Solicited Potential Research Partners• United Hebrew Geriatric Center (UHGC), New
Rochelle, NY• Network, Network, Network in your community!11
Initial Partnership :• United Hebrew Geriatric Center (UHGC),
New Rochelle, NY• Initial Meeting October 2005• Consortium Formed• Planning Sessions• Milestones Set• Service-Learning / Civic Engagement Course Developed & Approved• Pilot January 2006
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Older Adult PopulationContinuing Care
Retirement Communities
Independent Living Sr ApartmentsAssisted LivingSkilled Nursing Home & Rehab Center
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Team Assets & Resources :Community Partner
Space for ComputersInternet AccessStaff / Nurse Participation & SupervisionEnthusiastic Residents
Westchester Community
CollegeNursing FacultyComputer Club Support
Pace UniversityFaculty Curriculum DevelopmentService-Learning StudentsStudent SupervisionLab Setups & Donation Assistance
Westchester.gov Sr. ProgsAlliance for AgingSPEAKUPContacts! Network!
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Support, Budget & Donations• All constituents had Top Level
Administration Support • Support by entire health care team• Project Budget was $ 0 !! • Solicited Community for Computer Donations
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EquipmentDonations
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Donations:• Solicited Computer Donations
– Surprises & Networking• Met with Apple• Podcasting Seminar• Civic Association – Consulting Firms• Pace University, NY• Westchester PC User Group• Alumni, Students & Parents &
Faculty DonationsCopyright 2011 (c) J. Coppola & B. Thomas
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Grants :• Westchester Community Foundation $10K,
$15K• IBM Adaptation Technology $35K• Fuji Film (10 cameras)• Pace Internal School Grant Support
– Eugene M. Lang Student-Faculty Research Fellowship
– Kenan Scholarly Research Grant • Isabel Brabazon Award for
Intergenerational Evaluation & Research $5K
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CIS102T Intergenerational Computing• Interdisciplinary Course Pilot S06 (23 students)• Students Taught Process of Aging / Social
Gerontology, Technology in Action & Values of Service-Learning
• Intense 5 weeks of training now 7 weeks w 1+hr 1-1 Training• Team Assignments & Role Playing• Orientation• Team Leaders & Troubleshooter• Unexpected bonds
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Aging SimulationVisually Impaired
Glaucoma (Squares) Cataracts (Vaseline/Toothpaste)Macular Degeneration (Dots)
Motor Skills Arthritis in the Fingers
(Masking Tape)Arthritis in the Feet
(Stones / Popcorn Kernels in shoes)Poor Muscle Tone
Hearing Impaired (Cotton Balls)
Simulated Visual Impairments Detached Retina
Glaucoma
Cataracts
Heminopsia
Macular Degeneration
Retinopathy
Role Playing Tape 2-3 fingers on each hand with masking tape Insert cotton ball in each ear Wear a pair of simulation glasses Try typing on the keyboard Dial a number on cell phone Teach each other the computer; repeat instructions as many times as necessary changing volume & closing eyes
Student Orientation at UHGC
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Orientation & Student Preparation :
• Students Self-Selected to Enroll in CIS102T Intergenerational Computing Course
• Students Self-Selected to one of 3 Facilities for Duration of Semester
• Students / Seniors completed different Pre-& Post-surveys
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Student Coursework :
• Team Leaders• Chief Troubleshooter• Manuals• 5 Weeks of Introduction & Didactic
Geriatric Content
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Older Adult Surveys & Cognitive Assessment Instruments
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Student Instruments:• Search for Validated Instruments
• Student Pre and Post Surveys Self- Perception Attitude Towards Older Adults
• Student Pre and Post Surveys Self- Perception Advocacy For Older Adults
• Student Self-Perception Knowledge of Technology Survey
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Instruments:• Older Adult MoCA (Montreal
Cognitive Assessment) http://www.mocatest.org/ http://www.mocatest.org/pdf_files/MOCA-Test-English.pdf
• Experiences & Attitudes towards Aging Questionaire (EAAQ) - Laidlaw
• Older Adult Pre and Post Self-Perception Computer Anxiety
& Assistive Technology Survey• Demographic data collection tool
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Methods
One-group pretest/posttest design (N=165)
Measures Attitudes towards older persons Coursework in aging Personal experiences with older adults Interest in advocating for aging issues Stimulating students to be involved in
aging issues
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Students’ Coursework and Volunteer Experience
CourseworkNo previous coursework
93.4%Previous coursework
6.6%
Previous volunteer experience with older adultsPrevious volunteer experience
34.5%No Previous volunteer experience
61.8%
Students’ Interest in Advocating for Older Persons with Specific Action
Action Pretest Mean Posttest MeanDiscuss aging issues with classmates 3.29 3.38
Encourage others to become involved in aging issues
3.20 3.44*
Work with other college students to form an aging committee.
2.70 2.94*
Meet with local congress representative about aging issues
2.51 2.69
Go to Albany and discuss aging issues in NYS 2.12 2.28
* Higher scores indicate more positive interest. Mean scores increased between pre and posttest, with statistical differences in 2 specific action areas
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Profile of Student Participants (N=165)
Number Percent
Age at enrollment Mean Standard Deviation
21.78 years5.19
Gender Male Female
8778
52.7%47.3%
Ethnicity Hispanic African American Caucasian Asian Other
27159618 9
16.4% 9.1%58.2% 10.9%5.5%
Year Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior
12475353
7.3%28.5%32.1%32.1%
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Students’ Attitudes towards Older Persons
Attitude scores could range from 0 to 27
Mean SDAttitude Scores at Pretest 19.22 3.0
Attitude Scores at Posttest 19.61 3.2
Scores were slightly higher at posttest, but not statistically significant (t=-1.37, p>.05)
Profile of Intervention Senior ParticipantsPercent
Age of Participants Mean Standard Deviation
77.76 years10.59
Gender Male Female
24.0%76.0%
Ethnicity African American Hispanic Caucasian
16.0%12.0%72.0%
Residence Nursing Home Assisted living Independent Living
24.0%44.0%32.0%
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(N=116)
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Improvement in Senior MOCA Scores
N Mean Standard Deviation
Pre MOCA scores- Experimental group
25 17.76 4.30
Post MOCA scores-Experimental group
25 20.80 4.16
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Paired t-tests reveals a significant improvement (p<.001)
in MOCA scores between pre and post test
*Control Group data is being analyzed, but preliminary results suggests that the significant improvement is not a learning effect.
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Student Blogs & Reflections
“A very important observation I made was, the older adults valued their email communication more than anything else on the Internet. This could prove that as people age their values change, or they become more family oriented.… the smile on her face was worth every second of the time spent showing her how to sent the original message.”
“Over the seven weeks at assistant living, Lowell taught me as much as I taught him.”
Older Adults &
Technology
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Older Adult Antidotes
“Everyone [all senior citizens] Should Learn How to Use the Computer So They Won’t Be Left Behind”
Some of the older adult women were sitting in the common area when the students were toured past them. One said loudly to the other, "Look those must be our teachers! I guess they will be teaching these old ladies some new tricks!"
“One [student] is just nicer than the other”
“I’ve been putting it off – I know it’s time to learn the computer!”
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• Older Adult “diplomas”• Students certificates
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“Graduation”
Lessons Learned
There is better participation and learning success when seniors have their own computer and own space.
One on one instruction imperative. Social bonds and trust lead to success. Prepared student teachers work best. Seniors want to learn if the environment is right. Graduation Ceremony something to work towards
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Benefits – Physical
– Small motor skills appeared to improve
– Practice of eye-hand coordination improved mouse skills
– Those with profound hearing loss were able to enjoy use.
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Benefits – Social and Psychological– Seniors felt purposeful– Gave confidence – felt capable of
learning– Developed new relationships with
students– Avenue for connecting with family– Connect seniors to the forward moving
world at large
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Other Facets of the Project
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Wii
Prof. Shelley Garnet, Human Services, Westchester Community College
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Telikin as an Adjunct to OT/PT
Exercises to work with long term rehab patients (ages ranged from 70-86 yrs) with severe motor disabilities
Enhancement of Lost Motor Skills
Patients watched YouTube videos while exercising
Telikin as an Adjunct to OT/PT
Read news & checked weather, which allowed them to use touchscreen for fine motor skills
Typed information to improve motor skills
Played Memory Games, Blackjack, & Photo Scramble
Used calendar
Issues for Older Adults Using a Computer
Many Computer Screens are Cluttered & Busy
Applications are Hard to Find
Some Color Combinations are Hard to Read
Font sizes are too Small especially for those with Macular Degeneration
Font Selections are Sometimes Hard to Read
Passwords are Difficult Barriers
Too Many Options / Functions to Choose From
Issues for Older Adults with Using a PC, Mouse &
Keyboard
Older Adults did not Grow-up Using a Computer so Using a Mouse is Foreign
Double-clicking Extremely Difficult
Letters on Keyboards are too Small
Afraid of Breaking the Computer
Too Many Steps for Email & Video Chats
Creating Assistive Devices in Service-Learning Courses
– Build prototypes of assistive devices
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It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
Kehlog Albran
RESOURCES: Gerontechnology: Growing
Old in a Technological Society, by Lesnoff-Caravaglia 2007
Gerotechnology: Research and Practice in Technology & Aging by D. Burdick & S. Kwon 2004
Service-Learning http://www.servicelearn.com/
Service-Learning Clearing House
http://www.servicelearning.org/
SPRY (Setting Priorities for Retirement Years http://www.spry.org/
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Resources• Gerontological Society of America
http://www.gsa-tag.org/• Campus Compact http://www.compact.org/• Project Pericles
http://www.projectpericles.org/• CAST (Center for Aging Services
Technologies) http://www.agingtech.org/grants_main.aspx
• AARP
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Acknowledgements: IBM, Accessibility Research Fuji Film Inc. Dalton School, NY, NY Eugene M. Lang Student-Faculty Research Fellowship Pace University Scholarly Research Grant Pace University Presidential Civic Competency Grant Pace University Sponsored Research and Economic Development Project Pericles Grant Westchester Community Foundation Westchester Public / Private Partnership for Aging Services (PPPA) Westchester Alliance of Academic Institutions for Aging Related
Studies and Workforce Development Westchester PC User Group, White Plains, NY Nancy Hale and Dan Farkas, Information Technology Pace University Dean Connie Knapp, Seidenberg School of CS & IS
60Copyright 2011 (c) J. Coppola & B. Thomas
Janna Heyman [email protected] 718-817-5633
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FURTHER COLLABORATION!!! Jean F. Coppola [email protected] 914-773-3755
Barbara A. Thomas [email protected] 914-606-7852
Lin Drury [email protected] 212-346-1896
Colette Phipps [email protected] 914-813-6441
Sharon Wehl Wexler [email protected] 212-346-1461
Slides@ https://wfs.pace.edu/WFSRoot/jcoppola/Gerotechnology
THANK YOU!Please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information
or collaboratio
n !