Computer Technology and the Older Adult

Publisher Summary It is highly likely that older people will need to interact with some form of computer technology to carry out routine activities. Computer technology holds the promise of enhancing the quality of life and independence of older people as it may augment their ability to perform a variety of tasks. This is especially true for elderly who are frail or homebound. Many older people have problems with mobility and require assistance with routine activities. Computer applications, such as electronic mail, may allow this population to perform tasks they were previously unable to perform. The issues surrounding aging and computer use are of critical importance within the domain of human-computer interaction. Essentially, the implications of age-related changes in functional abilities for the design and implementation of computer systems are needed to be understood. This chapter attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding computer technology and older adults as well as identify the areas that needed research. The topics that are discussed in the chapter include: acceptance of technology by the elderly, training, and hardware and software design. It is hoped that this chapter serves to motivate researchers and system designers to consider older adults as an important component of the community of computer users.