Assistive technology
ADLs are self-care activities that include toileting, mobility (ambulation), eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, and personal device care.
[2][3][4] A recent study from India led by Dr Edmond Fernandes et al. from Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health which was published in WHO SEARO Journal informed that geriatric care policies which address functional difficulties among older people will ought to be mainstreamed, resolve out-of-pocket spending for assistive technologies will need to look at government schemes for social protection.
For example, voice activated smart home technology allows an individual to control devices such as light switches, thermostat, oven, blinds, and music from their location.
The theoretical approaches or frameworks OTPs frequently use to guide a client's AT choices may include: 1) The HAAT model by Cook, Polgar & Encarnaçāo (2015)[11] 2) The interdependence - Human Activity Assistive Technology Model (I-HAAT) by Lee, et al. (2020);[12] 3) The SETT Framework by Zabala (2005);[13] or 4) The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT 2) by Venkatesh, Thong & Xu (2012).
Additional trainings and certifications may specialize in a focus area such as the Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for Individuals with Visual Impairments (CATIS™) (ACVREP, 2024).
Wheelchairs and other mobility devices allow people to perform mobility-related activities of daily living which include feeding, toileting, dressing, grooming, and bathing.
It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscular, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control lost by trauma, disease, or defect.
Its design aims to provide back support, sense the user's motion, and send a signal to motors which manage the gears.
The exoskeleton supports the shoulder, waist and thigh, and assists movement for lifting and holding heavy items, while lowering back stress.
[22][23] Positioning is often important in seating arrangements to ensure that user's body pressure is distributed equally without inhibiting movement in a desired way.
[29] Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) devices have been shown to facilitate the growth and development of language as well as increase rates of symbolic play in children with cognitive disabilities.
The early introduction of powered mobility has been shown to positively impact the play and psychosocial skills of children who are unable to move independently.
[32] Powered cars, such as the Go Baby Go program, have emerged as a cost-effective means of facilitating the inclusion of children with mobility impairments in school.
A camera connects to a monitor that displays real-time images, and the user can control settings such as magnification, focus, contrast, underlining, highlighting, and other screen preferences.
GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and cameras can pinpoint the exact location of the user and provide information on what is in the immediate vicinity, and assistance in getting to a destination.
Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing use a variety of assistive technologies that provide them with different access to information in numerous environments.
This type of technology allows people with hearing difficulties to focus on a speaker or subject by getting rid of extra background noises and distractions, making places like auditoriums, classrooms, and meetings much easier to participate in.
This type of assistive technology allows users to amplify the volume and clarity of their phone calls so that they can easily partake in this medium of communication.
[45] A 2017 Cochrane Review highlighted the current lack of high-quality evidence to determine whether assistive technology effectively supports people with dementia to manage memory issues.
More complex assistive technology devices have been developed over time, and as a result, sports for people with disabilities "have changed from being a clinical therapeutic tool to an increasingly competition-oriented activity".
[50] IDEA defines assistive technology as follows: "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.
Mid tech supports used in the school setting include the use of handheld spelling dictionaries and portable word processors used to keyboard writing.
The form of home automation called assistive domotics focuses on making it possible for elderly and disabled people to live independently.
This field uses much of the same technology and equipment as home automation for security, entertainment, and energy conservation but tailors it towards elderly and disabled users.
According to the 2021 WIPO report,[57] the emerging technologies closest to a fully commercial product were for example: The technology readiness level and the related patenting activity can also be explained through the following factors which contribute to a product's entry to market, such as the expected impact on a person's participation in different aspects of life, the ease of adoption (need for training, fitting, additional equipment for interoperability, and so on), the societal acceptance and potential ethical concerns, and the need for regulatory approval.
Among these aspects, acceptability and ethical considerations are particularly relevant to those technologies that are extremely invasive (such as cortical or auditory brainstem implants), or replace the human caregiver and human interaction, or collect and use data on cloud-based services or interconnected devices (e.g., companion robots, smart nursing and health-monitoring technologies), raising privacy issues and requiring connectivity, or raise safety concerns, such as autonomous wheelchairs.
Overall, assistive technology aims to allow disabled people to "participate more fully in all aspects of life (home, school, and community)" and increases their opportunities for "education, social interactions, and potential for meaningful employment".
For example, in one study of 1,342 infants, toddlers and preschoolers, all with some kind of developmental, physical, sensory, or cognitive disability, the use of assistive technology created improvements in child development.
[66] In 1988 the National institute on disability and rehabilitation research, NIDRR, awarded Gaulladet University a grant for the project "Robotic finger spelling hand for communication and access to text by deaf-blind persons".
If there is success in development of robotics, these mass-marketed products could assist tomorrow's longer-living elderly individuals enough to postpone nursing home stays.
