Eldercare Technology for Clinical Practitioners (eBook)

Preface 6
Contents 8
Contributors 10
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 12
Introduction 15
References 18
Functional Assessment Technologies 19
2.1 Importance of Functional Assessment for Older Adults 19
2.2 Common Measures of Functional Assessment 25
2.3 Overview of Home-Based Eldercare Technologies to Promote and Assess Function 29
2.4 End User Interface Design for Functional Assessment Systems 34
2.5 End-User Perceptions of Home-Based Technologies for Functional Assessment 38
2.6 Challenges for Technology Experts to Implement Functional Assessment Technologies in the Real World 40
References 41
Mobility and Gait Assessment Technologies 47
3.1 Introduction 47
3.2 Terminology 47
3.3 Gait Biomechanics 48
3.4 Motion Analysis Laboratory Technology 51
3.5 Mobility Assessment Technology Outside the Gait Laboratory 58
3.6 Atypical Gait Patterns Associated with Aging 61
References 63
Intelligent Mobility Aids for the Elderly 66
4.1 Introduction 66
4.2 RelatedWork 68
4.3 COOL-Aide’s Shared Control: Philosophy and Architecture 71
4.4 Assessing User Intent in COOL-Aide 74
4.5 COOL-Aide’s Shared Control Based on User Intent 76
4.6 Preliminary Experimental Evaluation of COOL-Aide 78
4.7 Conclusions 86
References 87
Sleep and Sleep Assessment Technologies 90
5.1 Importance of Sleep Disorders and the Effects of Aging on Sleep 90
5.2 The Sleep Health Heart Study 93
5.3 Polysomnography 94
5.4 Actigraphy 101
5.5 Ballistocardiography 105
5.6 Portable PSG Devices 110
5.7 Actigraphy Technology 113
5.8 Portable Sleep Monitoring Technology 115
References 129
Vision Impairment Assessment and Assistive Technologies 134
6.1 Background 134
6.2 Demographics, Eye Disease, and Prevalence of Low Vision 136
6.3 Identifying Patient Goals and Visual Objectives 137
6.4 Clinical Visual Assessment 138
6.5 Low-Vision Rehabilitation 141
6.6 Future Technology 153
References 154
Managing Hearing Loss in Older Adults 156
7.1 Overview: The Role of Hearing 156
7.2 Prevalence and Demographics of Hearing Loss in Older Adults 157
7.3 Characteristics of Hearing Loss 158
7.4 Causes and Prevention of Age-Related Hearing Loss 162
7.5 Age-Related Changes in the Auditory System and Implications for Technology Assessment and Use 164
7.6 Age-Related Changes to the Inner Ear: Impact on Communication and Implications for Technology Assessment and Use 167
7.7 The Biological, Psychological, and Social Effects of Hearing Loss on Older Adults 172
7.8 Assessment Issues and Approaches 176
7.9 Interventions and Technologies for Independence and Well- Being 181
7.10 Special Considerations in the Selection and Use of Technologies for Older Adults 188
7.11 Aural Rehabilitation 190
7.12 Summary and Conclusions 191
References 191
Falls, Fall Prevention, and Fall Detection Technologies 199
8.1 Necessity 199
8.2 Types of Fall Prevention 200
8.3 Conclusion 212
References 212
Computerized Methods for Cognitive Testing 215
9.1 The Scope of the Problem 215
9.2 Usefulness of Computerized Testing 216
9.3 Usability of Computerized Testing 219
9.4 Validation of New Techniques 222
9.5 Existing approaches 224
9.6 Needs and Future Development 226
9.7 Summary 226
References 227
Index 228