Use of Digital Home Assistants for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Mobility Disabilities

Research Objectives: To explore perceptions of technology skills and the use of digital home assistants (DHAs) and connected technologies among older adults with mobility disabilities.

Design: A descriptive study

Setting: All research-related activities were conducted remotely in participants’ homes, with trained researchers providing remote training, including electronic questionnaire completion.

Participants: Twenty-four older adults with long-term mobility disabilities.

Interventions: Participants received a Digital Assistant in a Box (DAB) that consisted of an Amazon Echo Show 8, an Amazon Smart Plug, and a Philips Hue Smart Lightbulb. Participants installed the technology in their home following instructional guides we developed, with remote support from researchers. Participants were encouraged to use the technology for at least 5 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures: Technological readiness and proficiency were evaluated before installing the DAB using the Technology Readiness Index (TRI), Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ), and Wireless Network Proficiency Questionnaire (WNPQ). After installation and after 5 weeks of use, we assessed competence and usability using the Perceived Competence Scale (PCS) and System Usability Scale (SUS).

Results: Participants showed a good level of tech readiness (TRI 3.11±0.47/5) and proficiency in using mobile devices (overall MDPQ 30.56±6.10/40). However, they encountered difficulties with wireless connectivity (overall WNPQ 6.91±2.79/15). Despite these issues, the DABs were installed successfully, with good usability (median SUS 78.75/100) and high competence (median PCS for each DHA > 6/7). After 5 weeks, usability (median SUS 81.25/100) and competence (median PCS for each DHA > 6/7) remained consistently high, showing no significant difference from post-installation.

Conclusions: Older adults with mobility disabilities are open to incorporating smart home technology, such as DABs, into their homes. To optimize their experience, it is essential to simplify the Wi-Fi setup process when introducing these technologies. Rehabilitation clinicians and researchers can enhance the lives of their older adult clients by providing them with the DABs, along with the user guides developed by our research team.

Author(s) Disclosures: Authors report no conflicts of interest.