What it Takes to Successfully Implement Technology for Aging in Place: Focus Groups With Stakeholders

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Technology and Aging

Background:

• Growing interest in technology to support older adults aging in place.
• Implementation challenges due to diverse stakeholder groups with potentially misaligned goals.
• Limited research on stakeholder perspectives regarding technology for aging in place.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore stakeholder positions on technology for aging in place.
• Identify relevant technologies, stakeholder aims, and success factors for implementation.
• Understand convergent and divergent views among stakeholders.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups conducted with 29 participants from five stakeholder groups: older adults, care professionals, managers, technology designers/suppliers, and policymakers.
• Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts to identify key themes and perspectives.

Main Results:

• Stakeholders identified 26 relevant technologies, with only 6 commonly recognized across all groups.
• Success criteria include prioritizing older adults' needs, acceptance, benefits, and favorable prerequisites.
• Identified implementation needs: attitude/policy change, interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging technology-individual gaps, large-scale rollout support, and evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Stakeholders share a common direction for aging in place technology but differ on specific technologies and implementation strategies.
• Tailoring technology to individual needs and large-scale stakeholder support are crucial for successful service delivery.