Innovations in Technology and Aging: Introduction

Abstract

Potential and reality. It is estimated that by 2030, people over the age of 65 will represent about 22 percent of the population in the United States, with the fastest growing cohort within this subgroup those 75-plus years of age. Currently there are about 44.5 million people over the age of 75, and by the year 2050 there will be almost 50 million people 75-plus years of age (National Center for Health Statistics, 2005). Similar trends can be seen worldwide. By 2030 the percentage of people ages 65-plus will be about 24 percent in Europe and about 12 percent in Asia and Latin America. Coupled with the demographic changes in the population has been enormous change in technological capability. Technology has become an integral component of everyday life-in work, education, communication, and entertainment. Technology is also being increasingly used within the healthcare arena for service delivery, in-home monitoring, interactive communication (e.g., between patient and physician), transfer of health information, and peer support. The topic of aging and technology is receiving increased attention from researchers and policy makers, in part because they regard application of advanced technologies as an important means for maintaining and enhancing older people's quality of life. Much has been written on this topic, and national and international meetings have addressed it. In 2003, the National Research Council and the National Institute on Aging sponsored a workshop to discuss ways in which developing technologies could be applied to improve the lives of older adults and outlined a research agenda to help ensure that technologies could be successfully translated to useful products and services for this population. Now, a recently established professional organization, the International Society of Gerontechnology, is devoted to the subspecialty and publishes a scientific journal, Gerontechnology. It is dear that technology will play an important role in the lives of older people and holds great potential for improving their quality of life. For example, technology and telemedicine applications hold promise for increasing the physical and emotional well-being of older people. Use of technology can also enable older people to remain connected to family and friends, especially those who are distant. Technology also can help older people remain employed and maintain or upgrade their skills or ease the transition to retirement. However, to date there is only modest evidence that the potential of technology for older adults is being realized. Recent data for the U.S. indicate that although older adults increasingly use computers and the Internet, an age-based digital divide still exists. In 2005 about 26 percent of people ages 65-plus were Internet users, as compared to 67 percent of people ages 50-64 and 80 percent of those 30-49 years old. Furthermore, people ages 65-plus are much less likely than younger people to have a high-speed Internet connection (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2005). In addition, older people who do use the Internet tend to be white, highly educated, and living in households with higher incomes (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2004). Data also indicate that older adults use other forms of technology such as ATMS and VCRS less than younger adults do (Czaja et al., 2006). The objectives of this issue of Generations are to summarize what is known about the current use of technology by older adults and to consider this and the potential role of technologies in the future in supporting individuals as they age. The articles are organized according to activity domains that are particularly important in the daily lives of older people and thus where technology is most likely to be used. These domains are health, living environments, communication, work, learning, and education. We include both low- and high-tech applications and examine a range of crucial issues like privacy and usability. …

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