Fellow clinical gerontologists, various technology platforms are promoted for self-managed health for medication self-management, exercise promotion, activity engagement, cognition, and other areas. But is such use effective and well-received by older adults? Four articles in this issue address clinical applications of technology in aging.Footnote
The advertisement of computerized cognitive training (CCT) or “brain games” to “prevent dementia” continues in popular media and in direct-to-consumer advertisement. How can the clinician give an informed response when an older adult asks about the utility of CCT for this purpose? O’Shea and colleagues report 9 of 12 studies find CCT improves episodic memory performance; however there is no evidence that such interventions would prevent dementia (O’Shea, De Wit, & Smith, Citation2017). Their article provides helpful definitions of cognitive training, cognitive stimulation, and cognitive rehabilitation to assist in responding to questions potentially posed by older clients.
Tablets are used increasingly in healthcare settings, but are they effective? In their systematic review of 12 studies, Ramprasad and colleagues find good evidence for user satisfaction with tablets but not for improving clinical outcomes (Ramprasad, Tamariz, Garcia-Barcena, Nemeth, & Palacio, Citation2017).
Virtual reality (VR) may be a mechanism to bring personally meaningful activities to adults with mobility limitations, but is VR acceptable to older adults? Seven focus groups examine reactions to VR in 41 older adults living in a continuing care retirement community (Roberts, Schutter, Franks, & Radina, Citation2018). Qualitative analyses detail a range of positive and negative perceptions, providing direction for improving success in future applications of VR.
Automated medication dispensers (AMD) increase medication adherence in the short term - what about the long term? In our Clinical Comments section an increase in medication adherence and decrease in caregiver burden is described in four individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia who used AMD for at least three years (Kamimura, Citation2017).
In other articles we continue with our longstanding interest in caregiving research. New articles articulate the role of relationship strain, attentional flexibility, and self-compassion in coping with caregiving stress (Lloyd, Muers, Patterson, & Marczak, Citation2018; Morimoto, Furuta, Kono, & Kabeya, Citation2017; Pine & Steffen, Citation2017). Readers interested in more about compassion focused interventions may refer to Collins and colleagues (Collins, Gilligan, & Poz, Citation2018).
Two larger scale studies in this issue investigate social aspects of aging. In the first study, nearly half of 2,449 older adults admitted to an urban medical hospital in the United States were found to be at risk of social isolation with the oldest and persons of color at greatest risk (Ha, Hougham, & Meltzer, Citation2018). In the second study, low social capital (friend and family networks) mediated the relationship between stress in depression in 2,362 older adults drawing from the United States National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project study sample (An, Jung, & Lee, Citation2018).
Next up are two studies that use innovative methods to extend our understanding of quality of life. Jiange and Lu (Jiang & Lu, Citation2018) model mental health and mental illness using a two-axis model in 12,389 adults age 50+ living in China. This approach allows for distinct considerations of predictors of wellness and illness. Robleda & Pachana (Robleda & Pachana, Citation2017) use “leximancer” analysis of qualitative data to describe age differences in domains most relevant for quality of life in 153 adults age 50+ living in Australia. Finally, we return to consider social aspects of aging in a thoughtful study by Diaz and colleagues (Garcia Diaz, Savundranayagam, Kloseck, & Fitzsimmons, Citation2017) examining the role of cultural and family values on social connectedness and loneliness in a diverse Canadian sample.
We hope these articles on technology in aging, as well as those on caregiving, social aging, and quality of life further advance clinical practice and science in mental health and aging.
Notes
This material is the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the VA Boston and Bedford Healthcare Systems.
References
- An, S., Jung, H., & Lee, S. (2018). Moderating effects of community social capital on depression in later years of life: A latent interaction model. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 70–79. doi:10.1080/07317115.2018.1516263
- Collins, R. N., Gilligan, L. J., & Poz, R. (2018). The evaluation of a compassion-focused therapy group for couples experiencing a Dementia diagnosis. Clinical Gerontologist, 41(5), 474–486. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1397830
- Garcia Diaz, L., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Kloseck, M., & Fitzsimmons, D. (2017). The role of cultural and family values on social connectedness and loneliness among ethnic minority elders. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 114–126. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1395377
- Ha, J. H., Hougham, G. W., & Meltzer, D. O. (2018). Risk of social isolation among older patients: What factors affect the availability of family, friends, and neighbors upon hospitalization? Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 60–69. doi:10.1080/07317115.2018.1447524
- Jiang, N., & Lu, N. (2018). Correlates of mental illness and health categories among older adults in China: An empirical study based on the two continua model. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 80–89. doi:10.1080/07317115.2018.1470589
- Kamimura, T. (2017). Older adults with Alzheimer’s disease who have used an automatic medication dispenser for 3 or more years. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 127–133. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1347594
- Lloyd, J., Muers, J., Patterson, T. G., & Marczak, M. (2018). Self-compassion, coping strategies, and caregiver burden in caregivers of people with Dementia. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 47–59. doi:10.1080/07317115.2018.1461162
- Morimoto, H., Furuta, N., Kono, M., & Kabeya, M. (2017). Stress-buffering effect of coping strategies on interrole conflict among family caregivers of people with Dementia. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 34–46. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1368764
- O’Shea, D. M., De Wit, L., & Smith, G. E. (2017). Doctor, should I use computer games to prevent Dementia? Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 3–16. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1370057
- Pine, J., & Steffen, A. M. (2017). Intergenerational ambivalence and dyadic strain: Understanding stress in family care partners of older adults. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 90–100. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1356894
- Ramprasad, C., Tamariz, L., Garcia-Barcena, J., Nemeth, Z., & Palacio, A. (2017). The use of tablet technology by older adults in health care settings-is it effective and satisfying? A systematic review and meta analysis. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 17–26. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1322162
- Roberts, A. R., Schutter, B., Franks, K., & Radina, M. E. (2018). Older adults’ experiences with audiovisual virtual reality: Perceived usefulness and other factors influencing technology acceptance. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 27–33. doi:10.1080/07317115.2018.1442380
- Robleda, S., & Pachana, N. A. (2017). Quality of life in Australian adults aged 50 years and over: Data using the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life (SEIQOL-DW). Clinical Gerontologist, 42(1), 101–113. doi:10.1080/07317115.2017.1397829