Using Technology to Improve Care of Older Adults

This book is part of the Critical Topics in an Aging Society series. It serves as a catalyst in the technological transformation of aging services through organized presentation and evaluation of tools for a broad health care audience. Geriatrics interprofessional care is a fundamental part of older adult clinical practice modeled on a team approach inclusive of various fields, among them social work, pharmacy, nursing, rehabilitation, administration, and medicine. All clinicians who treat older adults, from the independent to the frail, are engaged in geriatrics team care which is continually adapting and evolving for individuals based on functional status changes, new treatment paradigms, and different settings of care. The need for advanced technology is clearly evident as one enters a hospital, nursing home, or geriatric care setting, including the patient’s home. Older adults have limited abilities to adapt to changes across these care locations, and thoughtfully implemented technology may eliminate these obstacles while providing safer, more enjoyable, and cost-effective care. The book presents some of the latest medical technological innovations and discusses options to help improve not only transitions of care, but also independence and quality of life for older adults. It is organized into four sections. The first section discusses current major challenges in aging and targets for technology, and promoting technology adoption and engagement in aging. The second section focuses on transitions of care and technology integration, home telehealth, and telemedicine and its effects on elder care in rural areas. Section three explores technology design for frailty, technology and cognitive impairment, advances in medication adherence technology, and technological advancements in pain management in elderly population. The final section describes personalized medicine and wearable devices, social robots and other relational agents to improve patient care, artificial intelligence and its potential to improve health, and advances in health education technology.