Bringing Communities and Technology Together for Healthy Aging

Many adults over the age of 65 want to live in their homes for as long as possible, a concept referred to as aging in place. However, there are often challenges to this, including isolation and loneliness, falls, medication management, and transportation. Older adults who face these challenges may need institutional care and lose of their independence. Assistive technology can extend the period of independent living and support older adults by providing information and social support, but adoption to technology has been slow due to poor design for the older consumer.

This project developed a community-based integrated information and communication technology (ICT) system, called Elder Tree, to support older adults. The web-based system connects seniors with each other, family, friends, and community resources. It serves as a source for information about local events, and offers tools for users to track their personal health and wellness. Elder Tree was developed for a variety of illnesses including asthma, cancer, addiction, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, in addition to chronic issues common among older adults such as bruising, fainting, and abdominal pain. Goals of the Elder Tree are to provide greater independence and quality of life and to reduce healthcare costs with decreased hospital stays and fewer unscheduled clinic and emergency room visits.

The specific aims of the project were as follows:

• Develop an ICT that addresses the challenges to aging in place. 
• Conduct a randomized clinical trial in rural, suburban, and urban Wisconsin to determine effectiveness. 
• Disseminate Elder Tree to 20 Wisconsin counties. 

This study was a randomized control trial of adults age 65 and older and their caregivers who had experienced challenges to aging in place. Control group participants were provided usual sources of information and communication, while the intervention group was given access to Elder Tree for 18 months. Initial findings suggested a positive effect for older adults who are heavy users of health services when they used Elder Tree. Analyses indicated that the system reduced the risk of falls and depression, and improved quality of life and social support for users. Older adults with multiple chronic conditions related to metabolic syndrome, including diabetes and depression, especially benefited from reductions in symptom distress and less use of primary care services. Elder Tree has been successfully disseminated to 57 counties in Wisconsin and continues to expand.