A Study of the Needs and Attitudes of Elderly People and Their Caregivers with Regards to Assistive Technologies

Aging of population is now a serious and complex problem in many countries, including China. Due to the shortage of nursing resources for the elderly, the needs of their growing population are hard to satisfy. However, thanks to the development of assistive technologies, there is hope for the problem to be solved in the future. Discovering the needs and attitudes of senior citizens and the relevant caregivers, the main focus of this study is crucial for successfully applying new technologies to the elderly population. To do so, questionnaires and interviews were administered to 119 elderly people with different self-care abilities, who were residing in homes or nursing homes. Their caregivers were also included in the study. The data about their daily life, needs, abilities, and attitudes towards assistive products are analyzed and compared for different groups of participants. In addition, based on the analyses, key points for the design of assistive products and possible practical applications of assistive technologies in the future are discussed.