Technology can benefit older people

13 April 2022

Malaysia transitioned into an ageing nation in 2020, with more than 7 per cent of our population aged 65 and above. The problems of ageing are not just about treating diseases and degeneration but also about the quality of life of the aged and their caregivers.

Professor Dr Teh Pei Lee, Head of Department (Management) at Monash University Malaysia School of Business, is also the Director of the Gerontechnology Laboratory in Monash. The Gerontechnology Laboratory builds upon Monash's longstanding tradition of creating socially relevant research, innovating educational practices, influencing policy-making, fostering community-university partnerships and sharing best practices with others.

Professor Teh has been nurturing the Gerontechnology Laboratory since 2016, striving to make it grow and mature into a national premier hub for Gerontechnology research, with outreach and global footprints.

"The Gerontechnology Laboratory, which I head, has new research programs on information technology, innovation, and thought leadership. It fosters engagement and increases awareness among government and business circles on the multifaceted impacts of an ageing society: social, economic, healthcare, and productivity. Our key priority research areas include Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Better Governance & Policy and Sustainable Development. Many of the research projects that we do serve a community purpose. We enhance the vibrancy of the ageing community, whereby many older adults can sustain mental alertness through Artificial Intelligence and smart technology. We help them remain financially secure through employment after retirement and enhance their physical fitness by improving mobility and muscular strength through functional health exercise and technological support such as soft robotics and exoskeletons," shared Professor Teh.

Although Malaysian seniors are more likely to be reluctant to adopt new forms of technological devices, it does not mean that they dislike technology. Positive attitudes include the belief that technology makes their lives easier and that technological devices help support their performance in activities that they care about.

"In our years of experience training and studying technology use, Malaysian seniors have been open to learning and using a wide range of new technology (from apps to smart home systems to robots) if training and support are available," Professor Teh stated.

She added that nowhere is safer than home if one does not need to be in the hospital. "In this case, how can we help older adults stay at home yet assist in monitoring early symptoms of infection or progressions of mild symptoms and even continue to manage their chronic health issues? A potential opportunity is to use smart sensor technology, powered by Artificial Intelligence."

The idea here is an in-home care project with sensors installed at home to help families and clinicians keep track of the health conditions of older adults. This includes infection, mobility, sleep and diet. User privacy can be protected by different use of sensors.

In Malaysia, older people live in different settings and locations (e.g., apartments, houses, residential communities). Some older adults can live independently, some are coping with their health and mobility challenges, and some are serving as a caregiver for someone.

"In our lab, one of the key concerns shared by many older people is a fear of falling. Falls are a common occurrence for older adults. A careful analysis of the home environment can reduce the risks of falls. In the US, the National Association of Home Builders has introduced a program — Certified Ageing-in-Place Specialist (CAPS), to support professionals in technical skills and business management in the areas of ageing-in-place. Such a program should be provided for supporting ageing-in-place in Malaysia," Professor Teh shared.

Technologies have great potential to support the needs of older people in their housing and living but require careful selection to ensure that they fit the older adult's needs. Examples of technologies include smart home technologies, domotics and digital home assistants.

Digital home assistants such as Google Home and Amazon Echo are increasingly popular. These technologies are voice-commanded and easy to use for older adults. However, older adults may face challenges getting the digital home assistant to do what they want. In addition, the in-app programs on the digital home assistants are not designed for the specific capabilities and limitations of older adults.

"The work we do in gerontechnology research will not be solving all the problems of ageing, but we will be improving the lives of older people. We are expecting to develop new community-based products and services instead of institution-based. From general to personalised, from healthcare to well-being care, and transitioned from interventional to preventional," Professor Teh reiterated.