The Impact of Disability and Assistive Technology Use on Well-Being in Later Life: Findings From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although assistive technologies have the potential to bridge the gap between personal capabilities and environmental demands, they may not always fully accommodate disability. This study examined the implications of change in the extent of accommodation provided by assistive technology for well-being in older adulthood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from 5 waves (2015-2019) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study provided information on disability and assistive technology use among older adults aged 65 and older in the United States (n = 7,057). An eight-level index that jointly characterized the spectrum of disability and assistive technology use was applied to 7 activities of daily living (ADLs). Fixed-effects panel model assessed within-person associations between well-being and the extent of assistive technology accommodation along different levels of the disability spectrum. RESULTS: At baseline, bathing (28.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 27.6, 29.8) and toileting (37.9%; 95% CI 36.2, 39.6) were the 2 activities in which most older adults successfully accommodated their limitations with assistive technologies. Longitudinally, the level of support provided by assistive technology changed widely across activities and over time. Within-person analyses showed that for all ADLs except for eating, there was a significant decline in well-being when the adopted assistive technology no longer supported users' needs and successfully resolved their disabilities. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings highlight the utility of technology-based interventions and underscore the imperative that assistive technologies attend to the specific needs of older adults and support independence in everyday activities.