Gerontechnology is an inter- and multidisciplinary academic and professional field combining gerontology and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and Reproducibility, reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in me ...

. Sustainability of an aging society depends upon our effectiveness in creating technological environments, including assistive technology and inclusive design, for innovative and independent living and social participation of older adults in any state of health, comfort and safety. In short, gerontechnology concerns matching technological environments to

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether i ...

, mobility,

communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqui ...

leisure Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Leisur ...

and work of older people. Gerontechnology is most frequently identified as a subset of HealthTech and is more commonly referred to as AgeTech in Europe and the United States. Research outcomes form the basis for

designers A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

builders Builder may refer to: * Construction worker, who specializes in building work * Carpenter, a skilled craftsman who works with wood * General contractor, that specializes in building work ** Subcontractor * Builder (detergent), a component of mode ...

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the ...

, manufacturers, and those in the health professions (

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, gerontology,

geriatrics Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατρός ''iatros ...

environmental psychology Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the external world. It examines the way in which the natural environment and our built environments shape us as individuals. Environmental Psychol ...

, developmental psychology, etc.), to provide an optimum living environment for the widest range of ages.

Description

Gerontechnology, also called ''gerotechnology,'' is considered an adjunct to the promotion of human

and

well-being Well-being, or wellbeing, also known as wellness, prudential value or quality of life, refers to what is intrinsically valuable relative ''to'' someone. So the well-being of a person is what is ultimately good ''for'' this person, what is in th ...

. It pertains to both human development and aging with the aim to compress

morbidity A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

and to increase

vitality Vitality (, , ) is the capacity to live, grow, or develop. More simply it is the property of having life. The perception of vitality is regarded as a basic psychological drive and, in philosophy, a component to the will to live. As such, peopl ...

and

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

throughout the lifespan. It creates solutions to extend the working phase in society by maximizing the vital and productive years in the later years of life, which consequently reduces the cost of care. The overall framework of gerontechnology may be seen as a matrix of domains of human activity: (1) health & self-esteem, housing &

activities of daily living Activity may refer to: * Action (philosophy), in general * Human activity: human behavior, in sociology behavior may refer to all basic human actions, economics may study human economic activities and along with cybernetics and psychology may s ...

, communication & governance, mobility & transport, work & leisure, as well as (2) technology interventions or impact levels (enhancement & satisfaction, prevention & engagement, compensation & assistance, care and care organisation). Underpinning all these elements are generic and applied

evidence-based Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the idea that occupational practices ought to be based on scientific evidence. While seemingly obviously desirable, the proposal has been controversial, with some arguing that results may not specialize to indiv ...

research. Such research supports the development of products and services. Gerontechnology has much in common with other interdisciplinary domains, such as Assistive Technology (for the compensation & assistance and the care support & care organisation rows of the matrix), and

Universal Design Universal design is the design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability or other factors. It addresses common barriers to participation by creating things that can be used by the ma ...

for the development of all products and services pertaining to gerontechnology.

Gerontological design

Gerontological design focuses on providing effective solutions to improve the way of life for ageing people, through gerontological knowledge and

design research Design research was originally constituted as primarily research into the process of design, developing from work in design methods, but the concept has been expanded to include research embedded within the process of design, including work concer ...

methods to obtain a better understanding of individuals' preferences and requirements. Gerontological design also refers specifically to the study and practice of building design methods that support elderly users in the built environment. Some universities host professors, commonly in architecture or interior design departments, that specialize in the study and teaching of this design specialization. Not only does this include the examination of building design characteristics that impact older adults' physiological well-being, but it can also include the investigation of building design characteristics that impact informational needs (i.e. finding one's way around in a space) or social interaction needs (Campbell, 2012). Between 2008 and 2030,

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

will witness an age profile shift in its population's history. In 2005, one in 12 residents was 65 years or older. By 2030, one in five residents will be 65 years or older. Studies show that in 2002, 7% of the world's population is aged 65 and above. By 2050, it is envisaged that the percentage could rise to nearly 17%. The

ageing population Population ageing is an increasing median age in a population because of declining fertility rates and rising life expectancy. Most countries have rising life expectancy and an ageing population, trends that emerged first in developed countries ...

and its impact on

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

and

lifestyle Lifestyle often refers to: * Lifestyle (sociology), the way a person lives * ''Otium'', ancient Roman concept of a lifestyle * Style of life (german: Lebensstil, link=no), dealing with the dynamics of personality Lifestyle may also refer to: Bu ...

is no longer an isolated issue but a global concern. Products and services relevant to the "silver industry" or the "mature market" increasingly abound in the marketplace. The demand for designers with a keen sense for the aging population's needs who employ gerontological design process knowledge concomitantly rises.

Publications

An international academic journal with delayed open-access, ''Gerontechnology'

is published by the International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG)''

A comprehensive edited book "''Gerontechnology''

has been published in 2016.

Applications

Age technology (AgeTech) has been used to enhance aspects of insurance, domiciliary care, residential and nursing homes, health care, and risk management. The services may originate from various independent service providers or the interconnection of devices and services enabled through open APIs. Commercial businesses with an ageing component including the opportunities around the “Silver Economy” – providing services for the ‘wants’ of the older demographic, supporting independent living – addressing the ‘needs’ of the older demographic, longevity – extending healthy lifespan and geroscience. In the US, startup Aging2.0 launched in 2015 and has since organized 170 meet-up events, opened volunteer chapters in 30 countries and signed up 30 companies for its own accelerator program. Amongst these, SingFit “makes it easy for everyone to become a music therapist”, WalkJoy is a wearable sensor that measures a person’s gait and alerts caregivers when someone could be about to fall. Active Protective is a personal airbag that inflates to stop someone breaking their hip. And Vynca records a person’s dying wishes, so families aren’t unsure when the time comes. The company Honor, which connects seniors, caregivers and their families, recently raised $20 million, the biggest funding in the emerging category so far. In Europe, London-based AgeTech startup Birdie secured a €7 million Series A to help elderly adults live independently while independent living system Kraydel has raised over £1m in innovation and public sector grants to develop its smart device which sits on top of the TV, linking elderly people to their carers or family members, through their TV screens.

Education

The first ISG Masterclas

for PhD students in 2006 produced a scheme to support gerontechnological research.

References

{{reflist

External links

The International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG)

The official LinkedIn discussion group of ISG

Gero-tech

Aging and Accessible Technology

MIT AgeLab

Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)

IMIA Working Group on Smart Homes and Ambient Assisted Living

* ttp://www.aal-europe.eu/ Active and Assisted Living Programme
Indiana University Gero-informatics Program

GGT Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Gerontotechnik – GGT German Society of Gerontechnology

research program implemented by Tecnalia Research & Innovation
Technical Research Centre for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living (CETpD)
created by the UPC and Fundació Hospital Comarcal Sant Antoni Abat.
Gerontechnologie.net
The French web portal about Gerontechnology. Ageing Gerontology Technology