DEMYSTIFYING THE MYTHS ABOUT THE ELDERLY – A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF HOW TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED BY THE ELDERLY FOLLOWING A STROKE

Background: Through the concept of ageism, we highlight and explain how the society prejudices the elderly. Ritsatakis (2008) classified 12 most common stereotypes. The elderly are being excluded from social life due to their... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Through the concept of ageism, we highlight and explain how the society prejudices the elderly. Ritsatakis (2008) classified 12 most common stereotypes. The elderly are being excluded from social life due to their chronological age rather than any actual reduced physical and/or mental ability. Some of these stereotypes are directly related to the (un)willingness and ability of the elderly to use technology in everyday life. The study presented in this article aims to demystify these stereotypes.
Method:
A qualitative study, namely a qualitative content analysis was performed. It was implemented through 6 in-depth interviews with the elderly who have suffered a stroke concerning their views on the daily use of technology.
Results:
All older people who have suffered a stroke use technologies, which are basically divided into technologies that support mobility, care and personal hygiene, performing household chores and maintaining a social network. An elderly person's attitude towards the use of technology is connected to their social network and assistance from professional staff, as well as severity of their physical disability. We have found that by using various technologies the elderly are developing various coping strategies.
Conclusion:
Through the concepts of domestication and prosthetic materiality of technology (Berker, Hartmann & Punie, 2005), our qualitative study has completely or partly refuted all 12 stereotypes about the elderly.
Application to Practice:
Occupational therapists must constantly raise awareness about possible stereotypes regarding the elderly and understand that a professionally planned use of technologies can improve an older person's quality of life.