Wandering at the crossroads of using a smartphone among nursing home residents: A qualitative descriptive study

The Internet has been integrated into various aspects of senior life. However, the popularity of digitization does not mean that digital devices are well-inclusive. It is considered important to explore the willingness of nursing home residents to use smartphones in the context of the development of "Digital China."

To explore the perceptions and concerns of smartphone use in nursing home residents.

The study employed a descriptive qualitative design. A purposive sample of 22 nursing home residents was recruited as participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data between April 2024 and June 2024. Interviews were transcribed, and analyzed by the qualitative content analysis method.

Nursing home residents were wandering at the crossroads of smartphone use. Four specific categories emerged: (1) Positive appraisal of smartphones' value; (2) Internal cognitive biases in smartphone use; (3) Objective constraints on smartphone use; and (4) Practical strategies for digital inclusion. Their cognitive biases involved low perceived usefulness, lack of basic knowledge, and technological anxiety; and the objective constraints were physical aging, unfriendly operating systems, and poor digital inclusion environments. Residents expected instrumental digital support including visual smartphone use guidelines, peer or intergenerational beside guidance, and digital life scenarios.

This study clarifies the subjective and objective challenges encountered by nursing home residents in using smartphones. It provides fresh insights from the perspective of nursing home residents for developing environmentally sensitive digital inclusion intervention strategies.