This study explored the perceptions of forty older adults 55+ and caregivers of the usefulness of the Labrador Retriever (https://labradorsystems.com/) in facilitating aging in place. Participants consisted of older adults who are enrolled in a PACE program or reside at The Village of Oakland Woods in southeastern Michigan as well as providers and board members of organizations that provide support to these older adults. Participants viewed an in-person demonstration of the Labrador Retriever before verbally completing a thirteen question survey with answers input by research team members. The questions were a combination of multiple choice questions such as ”Having seen the Labrador demonstration, do you think the Labrador Retriever System could help you in your setting?” followed by open ended questions such as “Having seen the Labrador Retriever, how might this system help you in your setting?”. A total of 9 qualitative themes related to the potential uses of the Labrador Retriever System were identified as: Medications, Aging in Place, Safety and Fall Prevention, Carrying Items (i.e. laundry, food, cleaning supplies), Hydration, Independence, Reducing Caregiver Burden, Nutrition, and Cognitive Issues. These themes are consistent with the barriers to aging in place identified in the literature.

This interprofessional study conducted by faculty in Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Public Health explored older adult technology use (or nonuse) by 216 Genesee County Michigan residents. Three professional lenses informed survey development, implementation and data analysis. Occupational therapy emphasized accessibility, how physical or cognitive impairments hinder technology use, and role of technology to complete daily living activities. Social work focused on technology use to facilitate social connectivity, decrease risks for mental health problems, and resource access. Public health explored if technology use or nonuse impacts health. Results indicated that 14% of participants want to learn to obtain transportation (social, health) via the internet, 13% stated they wanted to learn how to use technology to access medical records, 12.5% to attend on-line appointments, 11% reported they would engage in additional technology-based social activities (e.g. communicating with family/friends), 10% to order/refill medications, and 9% of older adults surveyed had difficulty accessing technology due to a physical, cognitive or sensory impairment. Researchers found the questions provided an integrated view of factors influencing older adult use or nonuse of technology and provided a guide for designing collaborative interventions to facilitate older adult access and use of technology to result in positive holistic health outcomes.