Three Perspectives on Older Adults’ Daily Performance, Health, and Technology Use during COVID-19: A Focus-Group Study (Preprint)

Abstract

Older adults’ engagement in daily activities was severely impeded during the COVID-19 lockdowns, negatively affecting their physical and mental health. Although technology flourished as a means of performing daily activities in this complex situation, older adults often struggled to use these opportunities effectively. Despite the important role of older adults’ social environments—including their families and health professionals—in influencing their technology use, research into their unique perspectives is lacking.

This study aimed to explore the daily activity performance, health, and technology-use experiences of healthy, independent older Israeli adults (65 years+) during COVID-19 from a three-dimensional perspective: older adults, older adult family members, and health professionals.

Nine online focus groups, averaging six to seven participants per group, were conducted with older adults, family members, and health professionals (N=59). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and the constant comparative method.

The intertwining of daily activity performance and health emerged as a central theme, with differences between the groups. Older adults prioritized their self-fulfilling routines based on motivation and choice, especially with relation to social-familial activities. In contrast, family members and health professionals focused on serious physical and mental health COVID-19 related consequences. A consensus among all three groups revealed the meaningful role of technology usage during this period in bridging functional limitations. Participants delved into technology’s transformative power, focusing on its necessity for engagement in daily activities.

Using a three-dimensional approach, this study illustrates the profound interplay between daily activities performance, physical and mental health, and technology use. Its focus on technology’s uses and benefits sheds light on what older adults need to increase their technology use. Interventions for improving digital activity performance can be tailored to meet older adults’ needs and preferences by focusing on motivational and preference-related activities.