Testing tools together with elderly people

Petra gives an example: "My mother-in-law got a senior phone, which is very convenient because you can simply click on the photo and the phone will call that person. But if you want to do your banking, the senior phone is totally impractical." Petra gives another example: "There are devices that provide a sensory stimulus when someone with Parkinson's disease 'freezes.' This stimulus helps them break out of the freezing. But setting up that stimulus has to be done via the smartphone, and it’s quite complex. It should be simpler."

Seniors in the driver's seat

The Living Lab received funding in October 2024 for four years. "The truly exciting and innovative aspect of this lab is that seniors are in the driver's seat: they get to try out the tools and provide feedback." A community is being formed, and participants are allowed to review products. This gives the manufacturer the opportunity to improve the product from the user's perspective, which is often missing. "Sometimes a product can be quickly improved with small adjustments. Think about the contrast on a screen, buttons that could be bigger, extra options that can be removed, or the language in a manual that could be simplified," Petra explains.

Sometimes a product can be quickly improved with small adjustments.The Living Lab itself will not develop new technological products. "There is already a lot on the market," Petra knows. "Many elderly people don't even know that so many tools are available. In fact, not all healthcare professionals are aware of what is out there." It's a shame that this vast range of products is not always easy to find, that the ease of use falls short, or that the product does not meet the need. By processing user feedback in a scientifically solid way, something can actually be done with it.

A vibrant community

Petra, along with her colleagues from The Hague University of Applied Sciences and mboRijnland, aims to form a vibrant community of seniors who are willing to participate, share their thoughts, and test tools. The focus is on elderly people who live independently at home and are experiencing the first physical discomforts that come with aging. "The community is not intended for seniors who are ill and require a lot of care, but for relatively healthy elderly people who are in the phase before that." For example, walking becomes a little more difficult because someone has a sore knee due to wear and tear.

"You don't have to go directly from 100% independence to 0%, there are more options."Petra, originally a physiotherapist, movement scientist, and with a PhD in rehabilitation medicine, values autonomy for the elderly. "The goal is not for a tool to take over everything right away because it's important that seniors maintain a high degree of independence. Take the example of that sore knee. You could say, 'Well mom, I'll just have the groceries delivered to your home.' But that mother might still want to decide what she eats and drinks; she's not ready for others to make those decisions for her. It's better to make the shopping list together. Or go shopping together and make sure your mom doesn't have to lift anything. You don't have to go from 100% independence to 0%, there are more options. And technological tools can help with that. This reduces the pressure on healthcare and caregivers while keeping seniors fit."

Read More: Medical Delta Living Lab 'Assistive technology at home'