The Use of Information and Communication Technology Among Older Immigrants in Need of Home Care: a Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

AbstractBetter home care and home care technologies are no longer requested solely by nonimmigrant older adults but also by members of the fast-growing older adult immigrant population. However, limited attention has been given to this issue, or to the use of technology in meeting the needs of aging populations. The objective of this review is to map existing knowledge of older adult immigrants' use of information and communication technologies for home care service published in scientific literature from 2014 to 2020. Twelve studies met the established eligibility criteria in a systematic literature search. The results showed older adult immigrants faced similar barriers, which were independent of their ethnic backgrounds but related to their backgrounds as immigrants including lower socioeconomic status, low language proficiency, and comparatively lower levels of social inclusion. Technology use could be facilitated if older adult immigrants received culturally-tailored products and support from family members and from society. The results imply that the included studies do not address or integrate cultural preferences in the development of information and communication technology for home care services. Caregivers might provide an opportunity to bridge gaps between older immigrants' cultural preferences and technology design. This specific research field would also benefit from greater interest in the development of novel methodologies.