Technology use by rural and urban oldest old.
OBJECTIVE
Technologies designed to optimally maintain older people as they age in their desired places of residence are proliferating. An important step in designing and deploying such technologies is to determine the current use and familiarity with technology in general among older people. The goal of this study was to determine the extent that community-dwelling elderly at highest risk of losing independence, the oldest old, use common electronic devices found in residential urban or rural settings.


METHODS
We surveyed 306 nondemented elderly age 85 or over; 144 were part of a rural aging study, the Klamath Exceptional Aging Project, and 181 were from an urban aging cohort in Portland.


RESULTS
The most frequently used devices were televisions, microwave ovens, and answering machines. Persons with mild cognitive impairment were less likely to use all devices than those with no impairment. Higher socioeconomic status and education were associated with use of more complicated devices. Urban respondents were more likely than rural ones to use most devices.


CONCLUSIONS
Technology use by very old community-dwelling elderly is common. There are significant differences in use between rural and urban elderly.
Calvert
James F
JF
Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Cascades East Family Medicine, Klamath Falls, OR, USA. calvertj@ohsu.edu
Kaye
Jeffrey
J
Leahy
Marjorie
M
Hexem
Kari
K
Carlson
Nichole
N
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011788:Quality of Life; D012423:Rural Health; D013672:Technology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014504:Urban Health