scholarly journals Socially Assistive Robots Helping Older Adults through the Pandemic and Life after COVID-19

Robotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Cristina Getson ◽  
Goldie Nejat
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots ◽  
The World ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Health And Well Being

The COVID-19 pandemic has critically impacted the health and safety of the population of the world, especially the health and well-being of older adults. Socially assistive robots (SARs) have been used to help to mitigate the effects of the pandemic including loneliness and isolation, and to alleviate the workload of both formal and informal caregivers. This paper presents the first extensive survey and discussion on just how socially assistive robots have specifically helped this population, as well as the overall impact on health and the acceptance of such robots during the pandemic. The goal of this review is to answer research questions with respect to which SARs were used during the pandemic and what specific tasks they were used for, and what the enablers and barriers were to the implementation of SARs during the pandemic. We will also discuss lessons learned from their use to inform future SAR design and applications, and increase their usefulness and adoption in a post-pandemic world. More research is still needed to investigate and appreciate the user experience of older adults with SARs during the pandemic, and we aim to provide a roadmap for researchers and stakeholders.

scholarly journals Using socially assistive robots for monitoring and preventing frailty among older adults: a study on usability and user experience challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richelle A. C. M. Olde Keizer ◽  
Lex van Velsen ◽  
Mathieu Moncharmont ◽  
Brigitte Riche ◽  
Nadir Ammour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots

scholarly journals Socially Assistive Robots for Older Adults and People with Autism: An Overview

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ester Martinez-Martin ◽  
Felix Escalona ◽  
Miguel Cazorla
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
World Health ◽  
Assistive Robots ◽  
Socially Assistive Robots ◽  
The World ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Assistive Systems ◽  
Health Organization

Over one billion people in the world suffer from some form of disability. Nevertheless, according to the World Health Organization, people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to deficiencies in services, such as health care, rehabilitation, support, and assistance. In this sense, recent technological developments can mitigate these deficiencies, offering less-expensive assistive systems to meet users’ needs. This paper reviews and summarizes the research efforts toward the development of these kinds of systems, focusing on two social groups: older adults and children with autism.

Addressing the Mental Health of Black Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

GeroPsych ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle L. McDuffie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Healthcare Disparities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Geographic Factors ◽  
The World ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the world. However, a particular group has felt the effects of the pandemic to an extraordinarily greater degree: Black older adults. This conceptual paper applies the law of small effects theory to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the mental health and well-being of Black older adults. It explores factors such as health and healthcare disparities, geographic factors, cultural factors, and other components of the Black older adult experience in the context of COVID-19. The conclusions and implications address how the subfields within gerontology and geropsychology can aid Black older adults moving forward, things to consider as the pandemic persists, and considerations following its conclusion.

Lighting and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: Spotlight on sleep and depression

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 405-422
Author(s):  
MG Figueiro ◽  
HC Kales
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disease ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Positive Results

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is the collective term for a progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is presently no cure. This paper focuses on two symptoms of the disease, sleep disturbances and depression, and discusses how light can be used as a non-pharmacological intervention to mitigate their negative effects. Bright days and dark nights are needed for health and well-being, but the present components of the built environment, especially those places where older adults spend most of their days, are too dimly illuminated during the day and too bright at night. To be effective light needs to be correctly specified, implemented and measured. Yet, without the appropriate specification and measurement of the stimulus, researchers will not be able to successfully demonstrate positive results in the field, nor will lighting designers and specifiers have the confidence to implement lighting solutions for promoting better sleep and mood in this population.

scholarly journals The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 506-506
Author(s):  
Rodlescia Sneed
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
Older Prisoners ◽  
Health Related ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

scholarly journals Foreword and Introduction to This Issue on Contemporary Safety Topics in Animal Research

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-126
Author(s):  
John Bradfield ◽  
Esmeralda Meyer ◽  
John N Norton
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Animal Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Institutions with animal care and use programs are obligated to provide for the health and well-being of the animals, but are equally obligated to provide for safety of individuals associated with the program. The topics in this issue of the ILAR Journal, in association with those within the complimentary issue of the Journal of Applied Biosafety, provide a variety of contemporary occupational health and safety considerations in today’s animal research programs. Each article addresses key or emerging occupational health and safety topics in institutional animal care and use programs, where the status of the topic, contemporary challenges, and future directions are provided.

scholarly journals The Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of an Arabic Version of the Reminiscence Functions Scale

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 343-343
Author(s):  
Abdallah Abu Khait ◽  
Juliette Shellman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Arabic Version ◽  
Harmonization Process ◽  
Back Translation ◽  
Target Culture

Abstract The Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS), a 43 item reliable and valid scale, measures eight specific reasons as to why individuals reminisce: (a) identity (b) death preparation; (c) problem-solving; (d) bitterness revival; (e) boredom reduction; (f) intimacy maintenance; (g) conversation; and (h) teach/Inform others. Research indicates that certain reminiscence functions have a positive impact on the mental-health and well-being of older adults. However, no known studies have been conducted in Arab countries examining the relationship between reminiscence functions and mental health outcomes due to the lack of an Arabic version of the RFS. The purpose of this study was to translate the RFS from English to Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic), back-translate from Arabic to English, and compare the two English versions for equivalence and accuracy through a multi-step translation method. A team of bilingual, bicultural, Arabic speaking experts assembled to conduct the forward, back translation and harmonization process. In the next step, professionals with expertise in linguistics communication sciences and disorders, Arabic literature, geriatric nursing, and medicine reviewed the translated documents to assess the content (relevant to the target culture) and semantic equivalencies (similarity of meaning in the target culture). Challenges that occurred during the study included finding nuanced translation equivalences for Likert scale responses, translation of idioms such as “when time is heavy on my hands”, and logistical issues such as coordinating virtual meetings for the team of experts. Lessons learned during the translation process and implications for use of the RFS-Arabic version with Jordanian older adults will be presented.

scholarly journals Capitalizing on Virtual Delivery of Community Programs to Support Health and Well-Being of Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L Vincenzo ◽  
Colleen Hergott ◽  
Lori Schrodt ◽  
Beth Rohrer ◽  
Jennifer Brach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Programs ◽  
Health And Well Being
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