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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: One possible approach to counter singularization and loneliness of older adults is the development and implementation of socially interactive robots. Little is known about the expectations and experiences of older adults with socially interactive humanoid robots. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a mixed-methods design study, user expectations before interaction and the experience and evaluation of verbal and non-verbal communication after interaction with a robot were assessed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after the interaction. RESULTS: The majority of older adults expected verbal communication. After the interaction the evaluation of the quality of verbal communication differed. Participants did not expect any form of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication was highlighted as particularly positive. Gestures, facial expressions, and body movements were described as confidence building. CONCLUSION: The robot's ability to communicate nonverbally might positively influence older adults' experience of communication with the robot. In the development of socially interactive robots non-verbal communication should be given more consideration in order to contribute to successful human-robot interaction.
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Coping is defined as cognitive and behavioral effort to manage specific external and/or internal demands, such as managing one's own fall risk. Little is known about the relationship between the risk of falling in older adults and their coping strategies. The purpose of this study is to examine the fall risk after hospitalization, the adequacy of self-perceived fall risk and coping strategies of older adults. In this mixed-methods study, the adequacy of perceived fall risk was determined using the de Morton Mobility Index and the ABC Scale in 98 geriatric patients recruited in a geriatric hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subsample of 16 participants 6 months after discharge to identify coping strategies. The six interviewees who adequately assessed their fall risk reported active/positive coping. In contrast, participants who assessed their fall risk inadequately (10 out of 16) reported passive/negative coping. Older adults who inadequately assessed their fall risk need special accompaniment in geriatric wards to develop active/positive coping strategies.
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BACKGROUND: The number of older adults in need of care and living at home is increasing in Europe. At the same time, the number of professional caregivers is decreasing. This development reinforces the need for assistive technology to support care recipients in their own homes and promote their independence. One of the main challenges of independent living is the preparation of food. Interactive robots could assist older adults with difficulties performing physically demanding tasks. Within the project AuRorA (full German project title: Wiederverwendbare, interaktive Verhalten für proaktive Roboter im Smart Home), an interactive voice-controlled robot arm was developed as an assistance system in the kitchen. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess how older adults evaluate the AuRorA system and to collect data on actual willingness to use the technology. Older adults were asked to evaluate the system in terms of usefulness, usability, accessibility and intention to use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the older adults evaluated the system via an online survey. The validated questionnaire Technology Usage Inventory (short: TUI) was used in conjunction with self-developed questionnaires to collect data on study population characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 106 participants were included in the analysis. The acceptance, usability and usefulness of the system were rated as medium, while the intention to use was rated as low. A significant strong correlation was found between the TUI subscales intention to use and usefulness. CONCLUSION: It can be assumed that the actual need of the individual participant for such a robotic assistive system had an influence on the evaluation of the system. The perceived usefulness may have been a crucial influence on the intention to use and the overall assessment of the system.
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BACKGROUND: Falls and the risk of falling in older people pose a high risk for losing independence. As the risk of falling progresses over time, it is often not adequately diagnosed due to the long intervals between contacts with health care professionals. This leads to the risk of falling being not properly detected until the first fall. App-based software able to screen fall risks of older adults and to monitor the progress and presence of fall risk factors could detect a developing fall risk at an early stage prior to the first fall. As smartphones become more common in the elderly population, this approach is easily available and feasible. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the app Lindera Mobility Analysis (LIN). The reference standards determined the risk of falling and validated functional assessments of mobility. METHODS: The LIN app was utilized in home- and community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or more. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Tinetti Test (TIN), and the Timed Up & Go Test (TUG) were used as reference standards. In addition to descriptive statistics, data correlation and the comparison of the mean difference of analog measures (reference standards) and digital measures were tested. Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed and Bland-Altman (B-A) plots drawn. RESULTS: Data of 42 participants could be obtained (n=25, 59.5%, women). There was a significant correlation between the LIN app and the BBS (r=-0.587, P<.001), TUG (r=0.474, P=.002), and TIN (r=-0.464, P=.002). B-A plots showed only few data points outside the predefined limits of agreement (LOA) when combining functional tests and results of LIN. CONCLUSIONS: The digital app LIN has the potential to detect the risk of falling in older people. Further steps in establishing the validity of the LIN app should include its clinical applicability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00025352; https://tinyurl.com/65awrd6a.
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BACKGROUND: Fear of falling is commonly assessed using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale which is an instrument to measure balance confidence, based on the assumption that fear of falling is due to the absence of balance confidence. The "Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly" measures the concept of fear of falling more directly on a scale of 0.0 and 3.0 points. However, there are no valid cut-off points that might help practitioners to interpret "Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly" scores. The aim of this study was to identify such cut-off points and distinguish between low, moderate and high fear of falling, in relation to balance confidence. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study different cut-off point schemes for classifying fear of falling scores as low, moderate or high were compared with F-values in ANOVA using the cut-off point scheme as an independent variable and the balance confidence scores as a dependent variable. The analysis was performed using data from a cohort of 98 hospitalized older adults. RESULTS: Using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale as a reference tool, values of 0.6 and 1.4 were identified as optimal cut-off points for low, moderate and high fear of falling. CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first to systematically classify fear of falling using the "Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly". This classification can assist health practitioners to interpret fear of falling score and guide clinical decision making. Registration: The study is registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00010773, date of registration 2016/05/07, date of recruitment 2016/11/07).
