Quality Of Life For Seniors Research Articles

Data ecosystem using smart home technology to support healthy aging

Abstract Background Smart home technology has been widely used to mitigate the challenges that population aging brings. However, the lack of a centralized data ecosystem has prevented these technologies from realizing their full potential. This project aimed to construct a data ecosystem compatible with smart home sensors to monitor healthcare for seniors, improving their quality of life. Methods The infrastructure was constructed using a user-centered design approach, allowing smart devices such as motion, temperature sensors to operate independently and communicate through a Wi-Fi mesh network. API technology provides a reliable channel for real-time data collection. To ensure data privacy and security, extracted data is hosted in a cloud environment that provides comprehensive data protection, and cloud computing is utilized for high-performance computation tasks. Analytical models such as Machine Learning can be implemented to recognize indoor activities, achieving the goal of remote monitoring. Results This data ecosystem advances in privacy and security, interoperability, accessibility, and data-sharing. Unified authentication mechanism ensures data is transmitted among heterogeneous devices with minimal vulnerability. Additionally, the common communication protocol provides the foundation of interoperability between devices. With unobtrusive devices, inhabitants are not burdened with operation, ensuring their accessibility and improving their user experience. Lastly, the data is exchanged in a standardized JSON data format, enabling efficient data-sharing board data integration. Conclusions This project developed a data ecosystem based on existing smart home environments. The ecosystem is compatible with smart devices that families already have, effectively reducing additional healthcare costs. Implications of this study include helping health policy and decision makers to adopt more smart home ecosystems to keep older people healthy at home. Key messages • Study constructed a data ecosystem compatible with smart home sensors, achieving remote monitoring of indoor activities and improving the quality of life for seniors. • The developed ecosystem offers promotion in privacy and security, interoperability, accessibility, and efficient data-sharing, reducing healthcare costs.

Wearable Activity Recognition for Advancing Elderly Care with Modified Transformer Model

Technological devices such as smartphones can be utilized in tracking various human activities or movements through built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes. Data obtained from these inertial sensors can be utilized in various applications to assist people, including healthcare, human-computer interaction, and sports. As a result, further developments in the effective classification of time series data through machine and deep learning is highly valued and actively pursued. In this study, the transformer model, a deep learning architecture designed for sequential data such as natural language processing (NLP), has been utilized for analysis of time-series motion readings from wearable accelerometers. The transformer model in this study has been refined by incorporating a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network (RNN) architecture. By leveraging the HAR70+ dataset with a wide range of activities, the modified transformer model in this study obtained a best accuracy of 95.85%, demonstrating that it can match the performance of state-of-the-art wearable activity recognition methods using Deep Neural Networks (DNN) and LSTM. Hence, the findings presented in this study suggest the future relevance of improved transformer or deep learning models to enhance the quality of life for seniors.

Study on the Characteristics of Community Elderly Care Service Facilities Usage and Optimization Design Based on Life Cycle Theory

Abstract: As the aging population in China increases, home-based elderly care is set to become the main mode of elderly care in the future. The construction of community elderly care service facilities is receiving more and more attention from society. Currently, residential area design standards in China lack clear guidance on the spatial planning of facilities, which will lead to unreasonable facility layout planning and insufficient convenience in the utilization of facilities by the elderly. Fully considering the distribution characteristics of community elderly care service facilities and the needs of the community life circle when planning residential areas can effectively solve this problem. This study takes Xi’an City as the research object, based on the theory of life circle, through questionnaire surveys and cluster analysis, analyzes the current situation of the construction of elderly care service facilities and the characteristics of the use by the elderly. Combined with the community life circle model, the study scope is divided into community life circle levels, and put forward the planning strategies of coverage rate, number, richness, and spatial layout of the facilities, respectively. These strategies are designed to enhance the quality of life for seniors, ensuring that they have access to essential support and resources within their communities. It demonstrated that middle-aged elderly prefer community canteens and activity centers, while those with limited mobility and multiple chronic diseases have a higher demand for health service centers and community canteens. The utilization weight analysis shows that vegetable markets and supermarkets are most frequently used, whereas health service centers are the least utilized. The research proposes strategic planning enhancements, including full coverage of basic facilities, targeted increases in high-demand facilities, and tailored facilities for elderly characteristics. It recommends cross-community layouts to ensure service radius coverage, development reservations for future needs, and quality improvements to address the low satisfaction rates of existing facilities. The study concludes that a targeted approach to facility planning, considering the elderly’s diverse needs, can enhance the community elderly care service system’s sustainability and effectiveness.

Pedestrian behavior among Chinese seniors: Insights from factor analysis and structural equation modeling

Pedestrians contribute significantly to the total number of road fatalities and injuries, with their behavior playing a pivotal role in traffic mishaps. Despite this, a limited body of research has delved into the walking behaviors of Chinese seniors. Given this gap, our study rigorously examines the patterns of seniors’ walking behaviors and their influencing factors. We employed exploratory factor analysis to decipher the intrinsic component structures of seniors' walking patterns in China. Subsequently, structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the impact of demographic attributes and personality characteristics on these behaviors. The findings revealed a four-dimensional structure for senior walking behaviors: transgression, inattention, aggression, and positive behaviors. Introducing personality traits as variables notably enhanced the explanatory power of our model. Specifically, anger, altruism, and normlessness significantly influenced certain dimensions of walking behaviors, while sensation-seeking did not exhibit any notable effect. This study not only highlights the complexity and diversity of elderly walking behaviors but also underscores the importance of tailored interventions to improve walking safety and quality of life for seniors.

NIKKY THE HUMANOID ROBOT FOR HEALTHY AND SAFETY LIVING

As the global population ages, the demand for effective elderly care solutions has become increasingly urgent. With advancements in technology, there arises an opportunity to revolutionize the way we approach elderly care, moving beyond traditional models towards more innovative and integrated approaches. This project introduces an integrated smart home automation system designed to enhance the well-being and independence of seniors while providing invaluable support to caregivers. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI integration, IoT devices, and voice recognition, the system offers a seamless and intuitive user experience. Features include automated task management, real-time environmental monitoring, medication management, and emergency response capabilities. By streamlining daily routines, promoting social engagement, and ensuring safety, the system aims to improve the overall quality of life for seniors while alleviating stress and burden for caregivers. Additionally, this project explores the potential of humanoid robot technology, exemplified by robot Nikky, to further augment elderly care through human-like interactions and assistance. This integrated approach not only addresses physical needs but also focuses on cognitive stimulation and emotional well-being, fostering a sense of companionship and purpose for seniors. Through these efforts, this project seeks to address the evolving needs of aging populations and contribute to the advancement of technology-driven solutions in elderly care and support services. Key Words: Home automation, Robotics, Smart and healthy living, Humanoid Robot for personal interaction

Kegiatan Penapisan Pemeriksaan Kadar Asam Urat terhadap Hiperurisemia pada Populasi Lanjut Usia

Hyperuricemia, characterized by increased serum uric acid levels, occurs due to an imbalance between uric acid production and excretion. The prevalence in adults and the elderly in China is 12.69% and is higher in men (17.7%) than women (8.5%). Contributing factors such as genetics, diet, and lifestyle changes, lead to an increased risk of gout, kidney stones, and cardiovascular disease. Chronic hyperuricemia can cause joint damage and deformity due to the deposition of urate crystals. This activity uses the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) methodology to screen for hyperuricemia in the elderly at St. Mary's Church. Francis of Assisi. The screening results showed that 12 people (33.33%) of the 36 participants had hyperuricemia. Early detection of hyperuricemia is very important in preventing complications such as gout and cardiovascular disease. Regular check-ups and lifestyle changes can significantly improve health outcomes and quality of life for seniors.

Design and Research of Smart Elderly Connected Wearable Device System

With the increasing aging of the population, helping the elderly to integrate into digital life has become an important part of coping with this trend. The digital quality of life for seniors has improved significantly, however, the adoption rate of smart wearables among seniors is still relatively low. Compared with the diversified and personalized needs of the elderly, there are problems such as inconsistent demand for wearable devices for the elderly. In order to better understand the needs of elderly users for wearable devices, this study adopts the user participation research method, conducts in-depth research on wearable devices for the elderly, and builds a multi-terminal device interconnection system design for elderly users.

Pelaksanaan Terapi Kesehatan Untuk Menjaga Kebugaran Fisik Lanjut Usia (LANSIA) Di Kelurahan Kapasa Makassar

Everyone's physical and mental health will be affected by aging, therefore it is very important to maintain healthy lifestyle habits as we age to improve the quality of life for seniors. Individual movement for exercise to a fitness center is highly recommended, and even carrying out activities independently outside the home is also highly recommended. Even though sports activities are very important to do as an effort to maintain the body's immunity so that it can prevent the body from being infected with viruses. The best thing to maintain and improve the immune system is to exercise regularly. The purpose of this PkM is to provide training and promotive and preventive efforts for problems that are analyzed by the situation carried out by the PkM Team, PKK women, community members in Kapasa Village, Makassar. The training participants, totaling 36 elderly people, are an important part of efforts to reduce the morbidity rate of the elderly. The hope is that the elderly will benefit from maintaining healthy bodies in old age, so that participants will be enthusiastic about taking part in the training. Data was obtained that many mothers in the community complained about a lack of understanding of physical fitness. So assistance is needed to maintain physical fitness with Health Therapy. Another problem is that it is difficult for them to maintain physical fitness because there is no assistance. As for the results, the PkM team had an idea to overcome the problem, namely discussing it by finding a solution by providing information and training about health and physical fitness accompanied by mentoring and practicing health therapy. After that, community members will demonstrate the results of the training. The results of Health Therapy Practices to maintain the physical fitness of PKK mothers, residents of the Kapasa Makassar Village community, will be evaluated.

Quality of life in assisted living facilities for seniors: A descriptive exploratory study.

Promoting individuals' health across different life spans has always been key to a holistic nursing practice. Seniors are a diverse population who go through many physical and mental changes as they age. During the last decade, assisted living facilities (ALFs) have dramatically increased in numbers to provide care and living services in a home-like environment. The aim of this descriptive exploratory study was to explore the quality of life as perceived by seniors who reside in assisted living facilities (ALFs). This study utilized a descriptive exploratory design to investigate the quality of life of seniors living in ALFs. Seventeen residents from two ALFs were interviewed to gather their perspectives on the quality of their lives while living in an ALF. The interviews were conducted by the researcher and were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three major themes surfaced from residents' descriptions: 'physical environment', 'social environment' and 'home-like atmosphere'. The quality of life in ALFs was found to be predominantly an outcome of the exchange between the personal capability of residents to adapt to changes and the capacity of the facility to meet residents' diverse needs. Participants who discussed their quality of life in ALFs provided profound insights into this aspect of their lives. The findings from this study can potentiallyenlighten ALF stakeholders and enhance the quality of life for seniors residing in these facilities.

Brain-Computer Interfaces Can Significantly Improve The Quality of Life for Aged People - A Review

As the global population ages, numerous programs have emerged to enhance the quality of life for seniors, addressing factors such as mental and physical well-being, mental illnesses, concurrent health issues, loneliness, and social interactions. Cognitive decline in aging poses a significant public health concern, impacting families and communities emotionally and financially. This review explores the effectiveness of healthcare surveillance combined with Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) in improving memory and focus among a group of healthy seniors. Maintaining a high quality of life for the elderly is crucial, fostering resilience and perseverance. The review data suggests the potential of non-invasive BCIs, integrated with IoT-based Smart Home Technology (SHT), to enhance the Quality of Life (BCI-QOL) for seniors. The review focuses on advancing non-invasive BCI technology to support the health and well-being of older individuals, addressing dementia and physical impairments. It also discusses supportive BCI technologies for smart homes catering to seniors with motor control deficits. This comprehensive review aims to assess the immediate and long-term impact of regional features on the well-being and quality of life of seniors. The BCI-QOL-based system holds promise in enhancing cognition and focus, aiming for security, intuitiveness, and appropriateness for older users.

독거노인의 디지털정보 활용 수준이 삶의 질에 미치는 영향 및 통합력의 조절효과

This study was to examine the effect of the level of digital information utilization of seniors living alone on their quality of life, and to verify the moderating effect of sense of coherence. For this purpose, secondary data analysis from a nationwide survey of elderly people living alone was used. Also, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with 477 people. The results showed that the level of digital information use and quality of life of seniors living alone were related, and that sense of coherence was also related to quality of life. However, moderating effect of the level of digital information use and sense of coherence did not appear in their impact on quality of life. This study, which confirmed the impact of the level of digital information use and sense of coherence on the quality of life for seniors living alone, is expected to serve as basic data for establishing digital support policies for seniors living alone in the future.

Threshold effect of unmet walking needs on quality of life for seniors

Walking is positively related to seniors’ Quality of Life (QoL). However, existing studies neglected the role of unmet walking needs. To address this gap, this study evaluates if and to what extent unmet walking needs affect different aspects of QoL. Ordered logistic models were applied to analyze survey data of 533 seniors from China, results suggest that unmet walking needs have overall negative correlations with all four dimensions of QoL including overall QoL, Physical Health (PhyH), Psychological Health (PsyH), and Social Health (SH). Results also support the assumption that tolerance thresholds exist when detecting correlations between unmet walking frequencies and different aspects of QoL. PsyH has the smallest tolerance threshold, followed by overall QoL and PhyH, and SH has the largest tolerance threshold. These findings provide evidence for policymakers to establish effective strategies on how to reduce unmet walking frequencies and minimize its negative effects on QoL of seniors.

OLDER PEOPLE AS A SUBJECT OF RESEARCH ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

The aim of the article is to present the legitimacy and conditions of research on seniors and its challenges in the context of further development of the information society (IS). The conducted considerations lead to the conclusion that research of this nature is limited by the lack of unambiguity in the concept of elderly persons and the information society. Nevertheless, it has been argued that studies of older people as members of the IS are fully justified by the importance of this group in society as a whole. Whereas analysis conducted on those aged 60 years and over, or 65 years and over, is insufficient. Older people should be analyzed in smaller age ranges and the analyses require both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Qualitative approaches improve our understanding of the reasons that new technologies are used or rejected, which can help to achieve one of the goals of IS development – to increase the quality of life for seniors in the future.

Successful promotion of social business on the global stage: Case of the City of Kitakyushu, Japan

This case study highlights how a local city, Kitakyushu, with a dark history of industrial pollution in Japan, turned into an eco-friendly role model and was named by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as one of four Green Growth Model cities along with Chicago, Paris, and Stockholm. The city has actively promoted green business through collaborative research opportunities, government-issued green certi cates, innovative green product promotion, a supportive business environment for social entrepreneurs, and international technical cooperation projects. The city continues to challenge itself using the United Nation's 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to expand success into social performance such as quality of life for seniors, gender equality, and sustainable communities. While Japan scores high on social and civil health, female leadership has been a signi cant struggle in social performance in the masculine culture of Japan. Addressing both accomplishments and challenges, this paper provides insights and practical implications for local governments around the world, so they can learn from Kitakyushu, in a more balanced way, with the purpose of achieving their own social objectives through social business.

ENHANCED SECURITY FRAMEWORK FOR THE SMART HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM

Elderly care as well as enhance the quality of life for seniors, the users must be supplied with a lot of personal information about their homes and personal lives. This promising technology is being blocked by results in security and privacy. With the intent to empower end users, we did semi-struct interviews with 42 potential new and novice Smart Home customers. The issues they were concerned with focused on were connected around attacks on Smart Home data and devices, as well as the effect on users in general, to the importance of keeping their functionality balanced with the expectations of the people in their surroundings. In addition, we use measures from an interdisciplinary point of view to deal with the four topics The paper concludes with a few ideas for dealing with users' concerns, along with ideas for supporting application developers in crafting effective user-oriented digital assistants.

Autonomy, identity and health: defining quality of life in older age

Defining quality of life is a difficult task as it is a subjective and personal experience. However, for the elderly, this definition is necessary for making complicated healthcare-related decisions. Commonly...

A Contemporary Insight into an Age-Friendly Environment Contributing to the Social Network, Active Ageing and Quality of Life of Community Resident Seniors in Japan

Japan has been promoting an age-friendly environment for the health and well-being of its senior citizens. This study aimed to identify the environmental factors that promote social network diversity, active ageing, and quality of life for seniors in Japan. Through the experience of 243 seniors in different parts of Japan, we assessed 20 factors of the WHO recommended age-friendly environment theoretical framework and how those contributed to the dependent variables: social network diversity, active ageing, and quality of life. Three factors significantly influenced the social network of seniors: (1) engagement in volunteer activity, and (2) having opportunities for paid employment, and (3) having internet access at home, whereas two factors (1) participation in sociocultural activities and (2) participation in group physical activities in leisure time, were statistically significant in relation to active ageing. Furthermore, the quality of life was significantly related to (1) locally available information about health concerns and service needs; (2) personal care or assistance needs achievable in the home setting using formal services; and (3) income sufficient to meet basic needs over the previous 12 months without public or private assistance. In conclusion, access to care in the community is important for the quality of life of the older, whilst social participation and exercise merit active ageing. Age-friendly environment implies a balance of care, welfare, and health services.

Strategies for Research, Practice, and Policy for Autism in Later Life: A Report from a Think Tank on Aging and Autism

Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in adults on the autistic spectrum, and more recently, the challenges related to aging in this population. A two-day Think Tank meeting, focused on aging in autism, was convened amongst international leaders in the field of autism research and practice. This meeting included a series of presentations addressing the current status of aging research, followed by discussions regarding priorities going forward. Attendees shared their thoughts and concerns regarding community services, government policies, societal perspectives and physical and mental health. The goal of these discussions was to consider systematic approaches aimed at providing meaningful supports that can ensure a quality of life for seniors on the autism spectrum.

Inclusion and Quality of Life for Older Adults: Nurses Advocating for Policy Change.

Social inclusion and social determinants of health (SDH) are key to healthy aging, and a failure to adequately address these influences can lead to negative health consequences such as the development and worsening of chronic conditions. Health policy is needed that prioritizes aging well in place as an "upstream" approach to address SDH and thereby improve health outcomes and promote quality of life. Globally, nurses are well positioned to advocate for such policy, given their commitment to fostering social inclusion and quality of life for older adults. This article presents a policy submission, made by nurses enrolled in a graduate health policy course, to Canada's Standing Committee on Human Resources and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, for the Committee's report on Advancing Inclusion of and Quality of Life for Seniors ().

The oral health quality of life for seniors in residential facilities who have direct access to care as compared to those without access

IntroductionThis pilot study tests whether there is a perceived difference in oral health when residents in long-term care facilities receive direct access to the scaling of teeth/debridement using dental hygiene instruments compared to facilities who provide only minimal oral hygiene care. MethodsThe study was a quasi-experimental pretest/post-test control group design and took place at two long-term care senior residential facilities in Sheridan, Wyoming. Fifteen residents from each facility comprised the study sample (n = 30). The treatment group received a debridement and oral hygiene education and the control group received brushing, flossing, and oral hygiene education. ResultsResults revealed a significant difference in pre/post OHIP-5 scores in the treatment group (p = 0.0222). The control group had improved scores, but it was not significant. ConclusionsThis study demonstrated a significant difference in the perception of oral health quality of life when seniors received a dental cleaning where they reside.