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Response to COVID-19 has both intentionally and unintentionally progressed the digitization of health and community care, which can be viewed as a human rights issue considering that access to health and community care is a human right. In this article, we reviewed two cases of digitization of health and community care during the pandemic; one in Scotland, United Kingdom and another in British Columbia, Canada. An integrated analysis revealed that digitization of health and community care has intended positive and unintended negative consequences. Based on the analysis, we suggest five areas of improvement for equity in care: building on the momentum of technology advantages; education and digital literacy; information management and security; development of policy and regulatory frameworks; and the future of digital health and community care. This article sheds light on how health practitioners and leaders can work to enhance equity in care experiences amid the changing digital landscape.

RÉSUMÉLes jeux sont une activité de loisirs importante qui peut contribuer à la qualité de vie et à l’interaction sociale. Bien qu’il y ait eu de nombreuses recherches sur les effets des jeux vidéo sur la cognition et le comportement, peu de recherches ont exploré des formes non-numériques de jeu qui ne nécessitent pas l’utilisation d’ordinateurs ou de systèmes de jeu, en particulier parmi les personnes âgées. Dans le cadre d’un plus grand sondage sur le jeu, 886 répondants masculins et féminins (≥ 55 ans) ont rempli des questionnaires sur jouant de jeux non-numériques. Les objectifs de l’étude étaient de déterminer les avantages perçus de jouer à jeux non-numériques, ainsi que de déterminer les facteurs socio-démographiques prédictifs des bénéfices perçus. Les résultats de l’enquête indiquent que jouant des jeux non-numériques est courant chez les personnes âgées (73% des répondants). Pour la plupart, les jeux sont de nature sociale: les adultes plus âgés jouent pour s’amuser, mais aussi pour aider à maintenir leur connaissance. Les analyses de régression ont indiqué que divers facteurs socio-démographiques, y compris l’âge, l’éducation, le genre et la race, étaient indépendamment associés aux avantages perçus des jeux. Les résultats soulignent donc l’importance de jouer à jeux non-numériques dans cette population, et suggèrent que les efforts visant à faciliter ces jeux peuvent améliorer les interactions sociales et la qualité de vie.

Introduction To date, potential difficulties that people with cognitive deficits meet in everyday life are relatively well known, but in which activities mastery is desired, and why, is less researched. The aim of this study was to develop deeper knowledge about activities that people with cognitive deficits want to continue mastering in everyday life and the reasons why these activities were desired.Method In the frame of a scoping study, articles were gathered and charted. Sixteen qualitative studies were selected as meeting the aim of the study and analyzed with a descriptive-interpretative method.Findings The analysis of the studies showed that the desired activities conveyed social values or independence, supported significant roles, diminished negative influence on other people, and increased health and safety. Linkages, in the form of dependencies between the desired activities, were also identified.Conclusion When planning for interventions for facilitating everyday activities, for example with technology, it is beneficial to consider both safety and values that are more closely related to meaningfulness and wellbeing. Most difficult activities were identified as hindering outdoor activities, and targeting those activities might be most valuable for enabling active everyday lives for this group.

RÉSUMÉ:Les technologies de surveillance nouvelles, telles que celles inclus dans le logement avec assistance ambiante—les capteurs environnementaux portés sur le corps, les interfaces intelligentes, et les réseaux de communication—sont en cours d’élaboration afin d’améliorer la sécurité et la sûreté des personnes âgées qui sont à risque, mais des questions éthiques ont été soulevées quant à dans quelle mesure ils compromettraient les droits et la vie privée des personnes à surveiller. L’étude qualitative que nous avons mené a été conçu pour nous aider à comprendre les façons dont ces technologies de surveillance nouvelles seraient influencer les expériences quotidiennes des individus de leur maison. Les participants ont estimé que de nouvelles formes de surveillance auraient une influence sur leur sentiment de sécurité, de l’autonomie et de la confiance en soi, et modifieraient leurs perceptions chez soi. Les résultats soulignent la nécessité d’améliorer notre compréhension de la façon dont le logement assisté ambiant affectera la vie des personnes à surveiller.ABSTRACT:New surveillance technologies like those included in ambient assisted living – such as body-worn and passive environmental sensors, smart interfaces, and communications networks – are being developed to improve the security and safety of “at risk” older people, but ethical questions have been raised about the extent to which they compromise the rights and privacy of the people being monitored. The qualitative study we conducted was designed to help us understand the ways these novel surveillance technologies would influence individuals’ everyday experiences of home. Participants felt new forms of surveillance would influence their sense of security, autonomy, and self-confidence, and would alter perceptions of home. The findings emphasize the need to improve our understanding of how ambient assisted living will affect the lives of those being monitored.

Ambient assisted living (AAL) technology is of considerable interest in supporting the independence and quality of life of older adults. As such, it is a core focus of the emerging field of gerontechnology, which considers how technological innovation can aid health and well-being in older age. For this scoping review, a comprehensive search of databases and key journals was conducted from January to April of 2013 in order to identify AAL technologies that have the potential to help deal with some of the challenges associated with aging. In particular, we focused on technologies that could potentially be used by people living with some degree of cognitive impairment, ranging from normal cognitive aging to mild cognitive impairment up to earlier stages of dementia. Options currently available and those still under development were both included in our search. Fifty-nine technologies were identified and are outlined here, along with a discussion of history of AAL from a gerontological perspective and related theoretical considerations.

Enhancing the use of technology in long-term care has been identified as a key part of broader efforts to strengthen the sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To inform such efforts, we convened a series of citizen panels, followed by a national stakeholder dialogue with system leaders focused on reimagining the long-term care sector using technology. Key actions prioritized through the deliberations convened included: developing an innovation roadmap/agenda (including national standards and guidelines); using co-design approaches for the strengthening the long-term care sector and for technological innovation; identifying and coordinating existing innovation projects to support scale and spread; enabling rapid-learning and improvement cycles to support the development, evaluation, and implementation of new technologies; and using funding models that enable the flexibility needed for such rapid-learning cycles.

The Technology Initiative for the Disabled and Elderly (TIDE), under the auspices of the European Commission will invest 48 million pounds sterling in research into technology such as robotics and telecommunications to assist the disabled and elderly to live on their own. Time controlled sensors coupled with changes in information processing and monitoring will improve the use of community alarms. Personal devices are also being developed to help the disabled to carrying out daily chores such as washing and cooking.

Enabling technologies are likely to become an important component of long-term care and support for people who are disabled or elderly. However, access to these technologies may often depend on the knowledge and experience of therapists. This article presents the results of a survey of occupational therapists, examining their awareness of technologies, sources of information, their attitudes and factors limiting the use of enabling technologies.