Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The biology of ageing
- 3 Fostering resilience, promoting health and preventing disease in older adults
- 4 Ageing and health
- 5 Social care and older people
- 6 Cognitive processes and ageing
- 7 The psychology of atypical ageing
- 8 Sociological perspectives on ageing
- 9 Retirement
- 10 Sexuality and ageing
- 11 Policies on ageing
- 12 Cross-cultural differences in ageing
- 13 Technology and ageing
- 14 Literary portrayals of ageing
- 15 Palliative care for older adults
- 16 Conclusions
- Index
- References
13 - Technology and ageing
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The biology of ageing
- 3 Fostering resilience, promoting health and preventing disease in older adults
- 4 Ageing and health
- 5 Social care and older people
- 6 Cognitive processes and ageing
- 7 The psychology of atypical ageing
- 8 Sociological perspectives on ageing
- 9 Retirement
- 10 Sexuality and ageing
- 11 Policies on ageing
- 12 Cross-cultural differences in ageing
- 13 Technology and ageing
- 14 Literary portrayals of ageing
- 15 Palliative care for older adults
- 16 Conclusions
- Index
- References
Summary
OVERVIEW
This chapter examines how technology can enhance and compensate in the lives of older adults. It critically examines the scope and value of technology, and its use in specific circumstances (including dementia, care, transport), special considerations (e.g. gender, ethics), and future directions and policy.
Introduction
Technology is developing at a very rapid pace. These developments allied to an ageing population make ‘technology and ageing’ an exciting topic to study. Technology covers a wide range of meanings including ‘the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes’ and ‘machinery and equipment developed from such scientific knowledge’, which is the definition in the Oxford English Dictionary (Soanes, 2005). Gerontechnology is the embracing term which covers technology for older people.
This chapter will start by considering the scope of technology and the people for whom it is designed. The focus is on ageing, which necessitates a life-course approach. People do not become ‘old’ on a particular birthday although for purposes of services, such as pensions, a chronological threshold date is often chosen (see Chapter 1). The experience of people before they reach a defined date is crucial when considering the use of technology. Those for whom a handwritten note or typewriter is the most modern form of communication are very different from those who use computers with ease. It is, therefore, important to look at both the current and future generations of older people, and it is useful to start by examining the scope of technology.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- An Introduction to Gerontology , pp. 363 - 388Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
References
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