The development of gerontechnology for hospitalized frail elderly people: The ALLEGRO hospital-based geriatric living lab

Maturitas. 2019 Jul:125:17-19. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2019.04.002. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Abstract

Our objective was to bridge the gap between gerontechnology developers and hospitalized frail elderly people, in order to promote open gerontechnology innovation in hospitals. We designed a hospital-based living lab that provides reflexive "idea incubator workshops" that gather both the users and the developers of technology, supplemented with an "experimental hospital room" for the testing of devices by older inpatients. The ALLEGRO living lab was delivered in 2018 at the Geriatric Department of Angers University Hospital, France. The workshops and experimental hospital room should help frail older inpatients to participate in the co-design and co-development of new technologies to improve hospital care and promote successful aging.

Keywords: Gerontechnology; Hospital; Innovation; Living lab; Older adults.

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging*
  • Biomedical Technology / instrumentation
  • Biomedical Technology / methods*
  • Caregivers
  • Diffusion of Innovation
  • Facility Design and Construction
  • Frail Elderly*
  • France
  • Geriatric Assessment
  • Geriatrics / instrumentation
  • Geriatrics / methods*
  • Goals
  • Health Services for the Aged
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Inpatients
  • Technology