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Measuring Life-Space of Older Adults in Senior Living Communities: Real-Time Location Tracking and Self-Report
Rebecca Davis1, Alla Sikorskii2, Margaret Calkins3
1Kirkhof College of Nursing, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids.
Purpose:
To determine how real-time location tracking (RTLT) measures of life-space (LS) perform in comparison to a self-report measure in residents of independent and assisted living communities.
Method:
RTLT and self-report measures of LS were analyzed at five time points over a 1-year period for older adults in three senior residential communities. Linear mixed effects models were used to relate RTLT and self-reported measures to each other and covariates of sex, cognition, and activities of daily living ability.
Results:
There was a positive association between self-reported and RTLT LS measures, with and without adjustment for covariates. RTLT scores reflected the effects of cognition and sex over and above what was captured by the self-reported measure.
Conclusion:
Self-report and RTLT are useful measures of LS. The RTLT measure may be more sensitive to the effects of sex and cognition on LS compared to self-report.
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