Perceptions of Communication and Monitoring Technologies Among Older Rural Women: Problem or Panacea?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore older rural women's perceptions of gerontechnologies, such as in-home monitoring and communication, which may be particularly useful in rural areas where support services are scarce. Forty-three women, ages 60–85 years, participated in focus group discussions. Qualitative analysis uncovered six primary themes: access and reliability, cost, privacy, usability, “use it or lose it” mentality, and caregiver burden. Results suggest that older women in rural areas are open to the potential of gerontechnologies to extend their ability to age in place but are skeptical about their actual implementation.

KEYWORDS:

• gerontechnology
• older women
• perceptions
• rural

Acknowledgments

Supported by the Oregon Roybal Center for Aging, Technology, Education and Community Health (ORCATECH), grant #0409A.