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Technology acceptance models associate older age with lower intention to use digital technology although this assumption is often stereotypically-based and not sufficiently tested with older persons. This study investigated the association of ageism (rather than chronological age) with behavioral intention and actual use of technology within the theoretical framework of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT-2) model. 374 Dutch-speaking participants aged 50–97 completed the UTAUT-2 questionnaire, Expectations Regarding Aging, Attitudes Toward Older Adults Using Technology (ATOAUT-11) and experienced ageism scales. A path analysis found that expectations regarding aging partially mediated the association of age with negative attitudes. Mixed results were found regarding the fit of the new UTAUT-2-Ageism model. Negative ATOAUT moderated the associations of Effort Expectancy, Facilitating Conditions, and Habit with Behavioral Intention to use technology, and the explained variance increased. Further research is warranted to fully identify the potential role of ageism in technology acceptance.

Purpose: This case study is presented to inform the reader of potential speech, language, cognitive, and emotional characteristics in preadolescent cluttering. Method: This case study describes a 10-year-old boy who started to clutter during preadolescence. The case illustrates that, in some adolescents, cluttering can co-occur with temporary stuttering-like behavior. In this case, signs of disturbances in speech-language production associated with behavioral impulsiveness as a young child were noted. Speech, language, cognitive, and emotional results of the case are reported in detail. Results: The changes in fluency development are reported and discussed within the context of changes in the adolescent brain as well as adolescent cognitive and emotional development. While being unaware of their speech condition before adolescence, during preadolescence, the changes in brain organization lead to an increase in rate and a decrease in speech control. Given that the client had limited understanding of what was occurring, they were at risk of developing negative communication attitudes. Speech-language therapists are strongly advised to monitor children with cluttering signals in the early years of their adolescence. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21318072

AimThere is often a gap between the ideal of involving older persons iteratively throughout the design process of digital technology, and actual practice. Until now, the lens of ageism has not been applied to address this gap. The goals of this study were: to voice the perspectives and experiences of older persons who participated in co-designing regarding the design process; their perceived role in co-designing and intergenerational interaction with the designers; and apparent manifestations of ageism that potentially influence the design of digital technology.MethodsTwenty-one older persons participated in three focus groups. Five themes were identified using thematic analysis which combined a critical ageism ‘lens’ deductive approach and an inductive approach.ResultsAgeism was experienced by participants in their daily lives and interactions with the designers during the design process. Negative images of ageing were pointed out as a potential influencing factor on design decisions. Nevertheless, positive experiences of inclusive design pointed out the importance of “partnership” in the design process. Participants defined the “ultimate partnership” in co-designing as processes in which they were involved from the beginning, iteratively, in a participatory approach. Such processes were perceived as leading to successful design outcomes, which they would like to use, and reduced intergenerational tension.ConclusionsThis study highlights the potential role of ageism as a detrimental factor in how digital technologies are designed. Viewing older persons as partners in co-designing and aspiring to more inclusive design processes may promote designing technologies that are needed, wanted and used.

Background: Owing to the improvement in acute care, there has been an increase in the number of people surviving stroke and living with its impairments. Frailty is common in people with stroke and has a significant impact on the prognosis after stroke. To reduce frailty progression, potentially modifiable factors should be identified. Increasing levels of self-efficacy influence both behaviour and physical functioning, and therefore it could be a potential target to prevent frailty. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study that involved the secondary analysis of the RISE data to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and frailty. The RISE study is a longitudinal study that consists of 200 adults aged 18+ years after their first stroke event. Data were collected from the respondents at 3 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after their discharge from the hospital. Frailty was assessed using the multidimensional frailty index with scores ranging from 0 to 1, and self-efficacy was assessed using the SESx scale, which was dichotomized as low/moderate or high. Frailty trajectories were examined using the repeated linear model. The generalized estimating equation was used to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and frailty at baseline and in the future (6–24 months). The B coefficients were reported at 95% CI before and after adjusting for potential confounders (age, gender, stroke severity, education, and social support). Results: A total of 200 responses were analysed, and the mean age of the respondents was 67.78 ± 11.53. Females made up 64% of the sample, and the mean frailty score at baseline was 0.17 ± 0.09. After adjusting for confounders, respondents with low self-efficacy had an approximately 5% increase in their frailty scores at baseline and in the 24-month follow-up period compared to those with high self-efficacy. Conclusion: The result from this study showed that self-efficacy was significantly associated with frailty after stroke. Our findings suggest that self-efficacy may play a role in frailty progression among stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND Digital technologies (DTs) for older adults focus mainly on health care and are considered to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults. However, adoption rates of these DTs are considered low. Although previous research has investigated possible reasons for adoption and acceptance of DT, age-based stereotypes (eg, those held by health care professionals) toward the abilities of older adults to use DTs have yet to be considered as possible barriers to adoption. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the influencing role of ageism in the context of health care professionals attitudes toward older adults’ abilities to use health care DT. A further goal was to examine if social comparison and stereotype activation affect and moderate this association. METHODS A new measurement to assess health care professionals’ attitudes toward older adults using technology (ATOAUT-10) was developed and used in 2 studies. Study 1 involved the development of the ATOAUT-10 scale using a principal component analysis and further examined health care professionals’ attitudes toward the use of health care DTs and correlations with ageism. Study 2 further explored the correlation between ageism and ATOAUT in an experimental design with health care professionals. RESULTS In study 1, physiotherapists (N=97) rated older adults as young as 50 years as less able to use health care DT compared to younger adults (Pt=3.73; PR2=0.19; F6,85=3.35; P=.005), such that higher levels of ageism correlated with more negative ATOAUT in the old age salient condition, but not the young condition. Stereotype activation accounted for health care professionals’ attitudes more than did the experience of working with older patients or the professionals’ age. CONCLUSIONS Negative and ageist attitudes of health care professionals can potentially affect how older adults are viewed in relation to DT and consequently might influence actual use and adoption of technology-based treatment. Future studies should broaden the validation of the ATOAUT-10 scale on more diverse samples and focus on the discriminatory aspect of ageism and self-ageism of older adults. This study calls for a focus on ageism as a determinant of adoption of DT.

Digital technology holds a promise to improve older adults’ well-being and promote ageing in place. However, there seems to be a discrepancy between digital technologies that are developed and what older adults actually want and need. Ageing is stereotypically framed as a problem needed to be fixed, and older adults are considered to be frail and incompetent. Not surprisingly, many of the technologies developed for the use of older adults focus on care. The exclusion of older adults from the research and design of digital technology is often based on such negative stereotypes. In this opinion article, we argue that the inclusion rather than exclusion of older adults in the design process and research of digital technology is essential if technology is to fulfill the promise of improving well-being. We emphasize why this is important while also providing guidelines, evidence from the literature, and examples on how to do so. We unequivocally state that designers and researchers should make every effort to ensure the involvement of older adults in the design process and research of digital technology. Based on this paper, we suggest that ageism in the design process of digital technology might play a role as a possible barrier of adopting technology., peer-reviewed

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on ethical and judicial themes related to technology and the older adults. Design/methodology/approach – Different consecutive phases in technology design and allocation will be discussed from a range of perspectives. Findings – Longevity is one of the greatest achievements of contemporary science and a result of development of social relations. Currently, various non-communicable diseases affect older adults and impose the greatest burden on global health. There is a great emphasis across Europe on caring for the older person in their own homes. Technology has a mediating role in determining the possibilities for good quality of life (QOL). The concept of assisting the older adult through the use of technology so as to access healthcare services has enormous potential. Although the potential of technology in healthcare is widely recognised, technology use can have its downsides. Professionals need to be aware of the risks, namely, those related to the privacy of the older person, which may accompany technology use. Research limitations/implications – By 2050, there will be more people aged over 65 than there are children. This phenomenon of global ageing constitutes a massive challenge in the area of health protection. Practical implications – Professionals need to be aware of the risks, for example, related to the privacy of the older person, that may accompany technology use. Social implications – There is a great emphasis across Europe on caring for the older person in their own homes. Technology has a mediating role in determining the possibilities for QOL. Originality/value – The concept of assisting the older adult through the use of technology to avail of healthcare has enormous potential. Assistive technology, social media use and augmentative and alternative communication can have a positive effect on the QOL of older people, as long as they are supported enough in use of these technologies. However, ethical and juridical considerations are at stake as well., This research was funded as part of the SIA RAAK MKB Project 2015-02-24M, Smart Care Homes and Assistive Technologies (SCHAT). The authors would like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action IS1402 Ageism—a multi-national, interdisciplinary perspective., peer-reviewed

Item does not contain fulltext Purpose: There is a lack of longitudinal data on predictors of vocabulary development in children with Down syndrome (DS). In typically developing children, many internal and external predictors of vocabulary development have been determined before. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of these variables in the receptive and expressive vocabulary development of children with DS. Method: The present study used a longitudinal design in young children with DS to study the vocabulary development over a period of 1.6 years and investigated the possible predictive role of child-related and environmental variables. Result: Receptive vocabulary development was best predicted by the adaptive level of functioning and early receptive vocabulary skills. Expressive vocabulary development was best predicted by the adaptive level of functioning, receptive vocabulary, maternal educational level, level of communicative intent of the child, attention skills and phonological/phonemic awareness. Conclusion: A wide range of internal and external predictors for vocabulary development of children with DS was found. Predictors resemble those predicting vocabulary development in peers with typical development between 1 and 6 years of age, as identified in other studies. 13 p.