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Older adults, falls and technologies for independent living: a life space approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2011

CATHY BAILEY ,
TIMOTHY G. FORAN ,
CLIODHNA NI SCANAILL  and
BEN DROMEY
CATHY BAILEY*
Affiliation:
Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL), National University Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
TIMOTHY G. FORAN
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, TRIL, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
CLIODHNA NI SCANAILL
Affiliation:
TRIL, Digital Health Group, Intel, Dublin, Ireland.
BEN DROMEY
Affiliation:
School of Computer Science and Informatics, University College Dublin, Ireland.
*
Address for correspondence: Cathy Bailey, Ethnographic Research Unit, Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, National University of Ireland, Galway City, Ireland. E-mail: cathy.bailey@nuigalway.ie
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Abstract

This paper draws attention to the need for further understanding of the fine details of routine and taken-for-granted daily activities and mobility. It argues that such understanding is critical if technologies designed to mitigate the negative impacts of falls and fear-of-falling are to provide unobtrusive support for independent living. The reported research was part of a large, multidisciplinary, multi-site research programme into responses to population ageing in Ireland, Technologies for Independent Living (TRIL). A small, exploratory, qualitative life-space diary study was conducted. Working with eight community-dwelling older adults with different experiences of falls or of fear-of-falls, data were collected through weekly life-space diaries, daily-activity logs, two-dimensional house plans and a pedometer. For some participants, self-recording of their daily activities and movements revealed routine, potentially risky behaviour about which they had been unaware, which may have implications for falls-prevention advice. The findings are presented and discussed around four key themes: ‘being pragmatic’, ‘not just a faller’, ‘heightened awareness and blind spots’ and ‘working with technology’. The findings suggest a need to think creatively about how technological and other solutions best fit with people's everyday challenges and needs and of critical importance, that their installation does not reduce an older adult to ‘just a faller’ or a person with a fear-of-falls.

Keywords

fallsindependent livinglife spaceolder adultassistive technology
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 31 , Issue 5: Wellbeing, Independence and Mobility , July 2011 , pp. 829 - 848
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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