Linda Harley

Examining social media use among older adults

Social media is a powerful tool that can connect family and friends across long distances as well as link people with similar interests. Social media has been widely adopted by younger adults, but older adults have been less likely to use such applications. A survey of 142 older adults (Mage=72 years, SD=11; range: 52-92) living in the metropolitan Atlanta area was conducted to understand the characteristics of older adults who do and do not use Facebook, a popular and wide-spread social media application. The present study examined the relationship between Facebook use and loneliness, social satisfaction, and confidence with technology. Demographic relationships were also examined, such as gender and age. Fifty-nine participants (42%) identified themselves as current Facebook users; 83 participants (58%) were not Facebook users. Non-Facebook users were significantly older (Mage= 75.3 years) than Facebook users (Mage= 66.5 years). Counter to expectations, there was not a significant difference in loneliness between Facebook users and non-users for this sample. However, Facebook users did score higher on assessments of social satisfaction and confidence with technology than did non-users. These preliminary results suggest that many older adults do use Facebook and they primarily use it to stay connected with family. As adults enter into older adulthood, maintaining social connectedness may become more difficult due to mobility limitations, chronic diseases, and other age-related issues, thus decreasing physical connectedness with friends, family, and community. For these reasons, social media may begin to play a more active role in keeping this population socially connected. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence social media use in older adults is becoming more critical.

The design of an interactive stroke rehabilitation gaming system

Abstract. There is a compelling need to create an alternative and affordable home based therapy system founded on sound rehabilitative principles, that is readily available, engaging and motivational, and can be remotely monitored by therapists. In the past two years, stroke related medical costs have increased 20%, while the number of clinical treatment sessions have declined. The purpose of this study was to develop an affordable interactive stroke rehabilitation gaming experience based on therapeutic fundamentals that can easily be used in the clinical setting or the home environment.

Transfer of learning between the arms during bimanual reaching

This study examined how movement of one arm affects the rate of motor adaptation of the other arm during bimanual reaching in a viscous force-field. Forty healthy adult subjects performed four reaching tasks: (1) by dominant arm, (2) by nondominant arm, (3) by both arms with only dominant arm experiencing force-field and (4) by both arms with only nondominant arm experiencing the force-field. For dominant arm rate of motor adaptation was greater during the bimanual task than the unimanual task. For nondominant arm reaching errors were higher during the bimanual than unimanual task. These results suggest that during bimanual reaching, transfer of learning between arms occur in both directions and movement information transferred depends on arm dominance.

The evaluation of a voting web based application

Ballot layout and the incorporation of assistive technologies into voting systems are plagued with inconsistencies across the United States. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both ballot layout display configuration (information density) and a variety of controllers (e.g., mouse, 2- or 5-button controller) in order to assess performance and preference among voters. Participants were presented with three mock ballots, each with different layouts (scrollable pages, multiple columns or multiple pages per contest). Eye-tracking data and selection time data were recorded and a usability questionnaire was administered after each testing condition. The results of the study found that participants preferred the multiple column display configuration and the use of the mouse. The results from this study will be leveraged to design an iPad Voting Application with appropriate interfaces and controls. This will allow individuals with disabilities the opportunity to vote without requiring the dexterity to use a paper and pencil ballot.

Motion capture system using Wiimote motion sensors

The purpose of this study is to examine the Wiimote MotionPlus system as a method to capture angular kinematic data of the knee, hip and back of a participant performing a lifting task. Twenty one subjects were recruited and asked to perform a lifting task while having four Wiimotes strapped to the lower leg, upper leg, and back at the hip and below the shoulder blades. The raw signals from the four Wiimotes were filtered and normalized before being combined to obtain the proper change in angular data. The results of the study demonstrate that it is feasible to combine the data from multiple Wiimotes to obtain kinematic data which may be used in ergonomic analysis.

Evaluation of the ShapeTape for studying biomechanics in the workplace

Motion capture systems may be difficult to use in harsh environments such as a poultry plant, and therefore should be self-contained, portable, unobtrusive, and not interfere with or be degraded by plant machinery or processes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity, reliability and accuracy of the ShapeTape system as a potential solution. This was accomplished by comparing kinematic data from the ShapeTape against the Vicon system. Subjects performed cyclical movements along a plane angled 45° up from the horizontal using their right arms. Results revealed that the ShapeTape kinematic data was significantly larger than the Vicon data, yet statistically reliable.

The Effectiveness of the WiiFit as an Intervention to Prevent the Risk of Lower Back Injuries

Lower back injuries are among the leading causes of work lost in the poultry industry, due to lifting heaving objects repetitively. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the Nintendo® WiiFit game would compare to traditional methods of strengthening hip flexor muscles to help reduce the risk of lower back injuries during lifting tasks. Twenty one subjects were pseudo-randomly assigned into three groups: (1) those who participated in a 5 week WiiFit game exercise intervention, (2) those who participated in a dose equivalent traditional exercise workout routine, and (3) the control group who did not participate in any exercise. During pre- and post-interventions, subjects performed a repetitive lifting task for 10 minutes at a self-selected pace. Subjects lifted a box filled with 20lbs of sand in a temperature control room that was set to an average of 40°F. The results showed no significant difference between body mass index, heart rate or calories burned between the groups before or after the intervention. Survey results revealed that those who participated in the WiiFit game reported a higher level of enjoyment of the exercise, and perceived a greater improvement of strength, endurance and balance over the control group. Kinematic analysis of the data revealed that the strategies for lifting varied between the groups. The WiiFit game is an enjoyable exercise routine that may help prevent lower back injuries.

Older Adults' Perceptions of a Neckwear Health Technology

Many gerotechnology devices are intended to help older adults improve health self-management and maintain independence. By including older adults throughout the design process, health technologies can be designed to meet their unique needs and preferences. This study investigated older adults’ perceptions of prototypes for a Wireless Event detection and Adherence Monitoring System (WEAMS). The WEAMS is a neckwear technology that would have the capability to assist with managing medication, tracking activity levels, and detecting falls. Twelve older adults (Mage = 77.7; SD = 7.13; 9 female, 3 male) completed in-home interviews on wearable health technologies and evaluated three non-functioning WEAMS prototypes on various aspects of ease of use, comfort, and desirability. Participants preferred prototypes with discrete design features and that were easy to put on and take off. Open-ended participant comments revealed a strong preference for the system to blend in with the user’s attire and not draw unwanted attention. Moreover, this study found perceived need to be an important factor in older adults’ acceptance of the WEAMS. Findings from this study will guide the design of the WEAMS neckwear and future wearable health technologies.

Designing home health technologies for older adults: the human systems integration approach.

From intensive care units with dozens of highly trained healthcare professionals to home healthcare in which patients manage their own health, the modern healthcare system spans many users, tasks, and environments. The home healthcare system is vast and variable, depending on the level of care that each person requires. Our goal is to discuss the human systems integration approach for designing home health technologies for older adults. By understanding user abilities and task demands, and how those factors interact within the home environment, designers can develop technologies that positively impact older adults’ quality of life. For the purposes of demonstrating how the human systems integration approach may be applied to medical device development, the scope of this article has been limited to older adult patients living alone in their homes who need to use a blood pressure monitor. There is an ever increasing need for health technology to migrate into the home environment. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. is facing a tremendous shortage of doctors and nurses. The expansion of healthcare services through the Affordable Care Act, coupled with the growing population of older adults and the large number of primary-care physicians set to retire are cited as contributors to a need for more than 52,000 primary-care doctors by 2025. In addition, nursing home costs have risen from an average of

The effect of the direction of force-fields on transfer of learning between the arms during bimanual reaching

8,280 per patient per year to an average of