While a broad spectrum of technologies is integrated in everyday life and routines, most research on ageing, health and technology has focused on attitudes toward and adoption of digital technologies including e-health, or home based monitoring systems. The aim of this study was to explore differences and similarities in attitudes and experiences with different types of technologies and development within and between three generations. We applied a qualitative, descriptive design and recruited a purposeful sample of participants from three generations (30–39, 50–59, 70–79 year old). The 25 participants took part in 3 x 2 focus groups. Forming four categories, the findings show that technologies enable as well as complicate everyday life. Participants expressed trust as well as uncertainty about risks when using technology and stated that use of digital services is required while support is limited. They identified that technology development is inevitable but not always in the service of users. In conclusion, experiences of and attitudes towards technologies and technology development are not limited to generation; perspectives sometimes unite individuals across rather than within generations. Thus future technologies and technology development, as well as services and policies aiming to support the use of said technologies should consider individual user perspectives including needs, desires, beliefs or goals neglected in the existing technology models, and involve users beyond generations defined by chronological age. Such strategies are likely to be more successful in supporting development of technologies usable for all.
Registered Nurses (RNs) are in the immediate position to provide End-of-life (EOL) care and counselling for patients and families in various settings. However, EOL-care often creates feelings of uncertainty and inadequacy linked to inexperience, lack of education, and attitude. To identify and describe factors associated with RNs' attitudes towards EOL-care, and to identify whether and how these attitudes differ from undergraduate nursing students' (UNSs) attitudes, a descriptive and comparative, quantitative study was performed. The FATCOD-instrument, focusing on attitude towards EOL-care, was used and the results analysed with descriptive and nonparametric statistics. In total, 287 RNs in 14 different specialist programmes, and 124 UNSs participated. A statistically significant difference (p = 0.032) was found in attitude towards EOL-care based on clinical experience. RNs in "Acute Care" and "Paediatric & Psychiatry Care" specialist programmes had a less positive attitude towards EOL-care (compared to RNs in other specialist programmes), while RNs attending the Palliative Care programme had the most positive attitudes. RNs and UNSs' scores differed statistically significantly in 17 out of 30 FATCOD variables. Finally, the results imply that there is a need for greater emphasis on further continuing education within EOL care for RNs working in all types of clinical specialities to encourage RNs talking about death and to enhance attitudes towards EOL care.
Research is needed to understand attitudes toward and adoption of the broad range of technologies available to support active and healthy aging in different generations. The present article gives an overview of the GenerationTech survey and sample, and describes attitudes and acceptance related to technology in general and as a means to support active and healthy aging. A national survey was conducted with a random sample (n = 2,121) including men and women from three generations (30–39, 50–59 and 70–79-year-olds) in Sweden. The generations shared some attitudes toward and acceptance of technologies for active and healthy aging. However, what kind of technologies are preferred to support active and healthy aging and the reasons for using certain technologies differed by generation. The findings could help guide the development and implementation of technologies for active and healthy aging throughout the aging process.
4 June 2021 in Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swedish authorities enforced specific recommendations on social distancing for adults 70 years and older (70+). Day-to-day life changed for 15% of the Swe...
The Life-Space Assessment (LSA), developed in the USA, is an instrument focusing on mobility with respect to reaching different areas defined as life-spaces, extending from the room where the person sleeps to mobility outside one’s hometown. A newly translated Swedish version of the LSA (LSA-S) has been tested for test-retest reliability, but the validity remains to be tested. The purpose of the present study was to examine the concurrent validity of the LSA-S, by comparing and correlating the LSA scores to other measures of mobility. The LSA was included in a population-based study of health, functioning and mobility among older persons in Sweden, and the present analysis comprised 312 community-dwelling participants. To test the concurrent validity, the LSA scores were compared to a number of other mobility-related variables, including the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) as well as “stair climbing”, “transfers”, “transportation”, “food shopping”, “travel for pleasure” and “community activities”. The LSA total mean scores for different levels of the other mobility-related variables, and measures of correlation were calculated. Higher LSA total mean scores were observed with higher levels of all the other mobility related variables. Most of the correlations between the LSA and the other mobility variables were large (r = 0.5–1.0) and significant at the 0.01 level. The LSA total score, as well as independent life-space and assistive life-space correlated with transportation (0.63, 0.66, 0.64) and food shopping (0.55, 0.58, 0.55). Assistive life-space also correlated with SPPB (0.47). With respect to maximal life-space, the correlations with the mobility-related variables were generally lower (below 0.5), probably since this aspect of life-space mobility is highly influenced by social support and is not so dependent on the individual’s own physical function. LSA was shown to be a valid measure of mobility when using the LSA total, independent LS or assistive LSA.
Background: Life-space mobility is defined as the ability to access different areas extending from the room where the person sleeps to places outside one’s hometown. Life-space mobility is vital to support performance of daily life activities and autonomous participation in social life. However, there is a dearth of research that investigates a wider range of physical functions and functioning in relation to life-space mobility rather than just single aspects. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to identify and describe several measures of physical functioning associated with life-space mobility among older men and women. Methods: Data used in this study was derived from the OCTO 2 study, a population-based study of health, functioning and mobility among older persons (n = 312) in Sweden. Associations between Life-Space Assessment (LSA) total score and age, sex, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), dizziness, lung function i.e. Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), grip strength, self-rated vision and hearing were analysed through bivariate and multivariate regression models. Results: The bivariate models showed that life-space mobility was significantly associated with sex, but also age, SPPB, PEF and grip strength in the total group as well as among men and women. In addition, hearing was significantly associated with life-space mobility among women. Those factors that were statistically significant in the bivariate models were further analysed in multivariable models for the total group, and for men and women separately. In these models, sex, grip strength and SPPB remained significantly associated with life-space mobility in the total group, as well as SPPB among both men and women. Conclusion: Sex, physical function in terms of physical performance measured by SPPB (balance, gait speed and chair stand), and grip strength are associated with life-space mobility. Consequently, these factors need to be considered in assessments and interventions aiming to maintain mobility in old age.