Increasingly, Design Thinking's influence reaches beyond the confines of traditional design disciplines and expands its role in connecting domains and integrating resources. This study focused on the changing role of design researchers involved in interdisciplinary research projects, following a Research-through-Design (RtD) approach. The research setting for this study was a project on the design and evaluation of digital solutions in the context of dementia. This study applied process research methods to provide a holistic view of the dynamics between actors from different domains as well as an understanding of the role of design researchers within the complexity of the larger system of an interdisciplinary RtD collaboration. Findings at the organizational, process, and product levels emphasized the following three changing roles for design researchers in interdisciplinary RtD: (1) a mediator role, (2) a sensemaking role, and (3) a role in improving processes by applying research artefacts.

Introduction Intensive gait training is important for effective rehabilitation of people after stroke. "Stappy" is a sensor-feedback system that provides real-time feedback on the persons gait pattern/performance during training. The main aim of this study was to assess attitudes towards "Stappy" in people after stroke to practise walking performance independently at home. Methods Demographics were collected. Frequency of practice with "Stappy" was monitored through the system. Participants used "Stappy" at home for two weeks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore patient experiences with "Stappy" afterwards. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Seventeen people after stroke (13 males, mean age 65, 17 to 172 months after stroke) were interviewed. There was a large variability (ranging from 0 to 14 days) in frequency of use over the two-week period. Although, thirty-eight percent were non-users, participants seemed satisfied about the option of feedback of the system on people's gait pattern. Moderate to frequent users reported the ability to integrate "Stappy" into daily walking and the presence of support by the social environment as important factors for use. Conclusion In a sub sample of stroke patients the ability to receive real-time feedback during practice about walking performance at home was viewed positively. Six participants did not or hardly used the sensor-feedback technology, even though they were positive about potential benefits. This implies that mHealth is not eligible for all individuals. To improve adherence various considerations were derived from this study, that may further optimise the frequency and personalise the use of the technology.

Dementia can hinder a person's ability to engage with their relatives. Existing communication technologies do not support people with dementia in maintaining social contact since they are not designed for their abilities and needs. This paper presents LivingMoments, a communication system that enables the engagement of people with dementia with their relatives. The system uses digital and physical interaction design considering people's different and changing abilities. Over a six-week field evaluation of LivingMoments, involving six participants living at home with different levels of dementia, we collected qualitative and quantitative data about the experiences of them and their relatives. Based on the data analysis, we found the need to adapt communication to individual abilities, lowering barriers through content calibration and establishing habits for continuous use. We evinced a set of design considerations for technologies to support a lasting engagement of people with dementia with different and changing abilities.

Background: Hundreds of apps are available to support people in their quest to quit smoking. It has been hypothesized that selecting an app from a sizable volume without any aid can be overwhelming and difficult. However, little is known about how people choose apps for smoking cessation and what exactly people want to know about an app before choosing to install it. Understanding the decision-making process may ultimately be helpful in creating tools to help people meaningfully select apps. Objective: The aim of this study is to obtain insights into the process of searching and selecting mobile apps for smoking cessation and map the range of actions and the accompanying reasons during the search, focusing on the information needs and experiences of those who aim to find an app. Methods: Contextual inquiries were conducted with 10 Dutch adults wanting to quit smoking by using an app. During the inquiries, we observed people as they chose an app. In addition, 2 weeks later, there was a short semistructured follow-up interview over the phone. Through convenience and purposive sampling, we included participants differing in gender, age, and educational level. We used thematic analysis to analyze the transcribed interviews and leveraged a combination of video and audio recordings to understand what is involved in searching and selecting apps for smoking cessation. Results: The process of finding smoking cessation apps is comprehensive: participants explored, evaluated, and searched for information; imagined using functions; compared apps; assessed the trustworthiness of apps and information; and made several decisions while navigating the internet and app stores. During the search, the participants gained knowledge of apps and developed clearer ideas about their wishes and requirements. Confidence and trust in these apps to help quitting remained quite low or even decreased. Although the process was predominantly a positive experience, the whole process took time and energy and caused negative emotions such as frustration and disappointment for some participants. In addition, without the participants realizing it, errors in information processing occurred, which affected the choices they made. All participants chose an app with the explicit intention of using it. After 2 weeks, of the 10 participants, 6 had used the app, of whom only 1 extensively. Conclusions: Finding an app in the current app stores that contains functions and features expected to help in quitting smoking takes considerable time and energy, can be a negative experience, and is prone to errors in information processing that affect decision-making. Therefore, we advise the further development of decision aids, such as advanced filters, recommender systems and curated health app portals, and make a number of concrete recommendations for the design of such systems.

BACKGROUND Thousands of apps are available to support people in their quest to quit smoking. Currently, few ways exist to help people easily select an app based on anything other than popularity (rating or number of downloads). It has been hypothesized that selecting an app from the sizable volume without any aid can be overwhelming and difficult. Little is known however about how people choose apps for smoking cessation, and what exactly it is people want to know about an app before choosing to install. Understanding the decision-making process may ultimately be helpful in creating tools to help people meaningfully select apps. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to obtain insights into the process of searching and selecting mobile applications for smoking cessation and to map the range of actions and the accompanying reasons during the search, focusing on the information needs and experiences of those who aim to find an app. METHODS Contextual inquiries were conducted with ten Dutch adults wanting to quit smoking by using an app. During the inquiries, we observed people as they chose an app. Additionally, there was a short semi-structured follow up interview over the phone, two weeks later. Through convenience and purposive sampling, we included participants differing in gender, age and educational level. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcribed interviews and leveraged a combination of video and audio recordings in order to understand what is involved in searching and selecting apps for smoking cessation. RESULTS The process of finding smoking cessation apps is comprehensive: participants explored, evaluated and searched for information, imagined using functions, compared apps, assessed trustworthiness of apps and information, made several decisions while navigating the internet and app stores. During the search, participants gained knowledge of apps and developed clearer ideas about wishes and requirements. Confidence and trust in these apps to help quitting, remained quite low or even decreased. Although the process was predominantly a positive experience, the whole process took time, energy, and caused negative emotions such as frustration and disappointment for some participants. In addition, without the participants realizing it, errors in information processing occurred, which affected the choices people made. All participants chose an app with the explicit intention of using it. After two weeks, six participants had used the app, only one of them extensively. CONCLUSIONS Finding an app that contains functions and features you expect to help you quit smoking in the current app stores takes considerable time, energy, can be a negative experience, and is prone to errors in information processing that affect decision making. We therefore advise further development of decision aids, such as recommender systems and curated health app portals and make a number of concrete recommendations for the design of such systems.

Objective to gain insight into what older adults after hip fracture perceive as most beneficial to their recovery to everyday life. Design qualitative research approach. Setting six skilled nursing facilities. Participants 19 older community dwelling older adults (aged 65-94), who had recently received geriatric rehabilitation after hip fracture. Methods semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 older adults after hip fracture. Coding techniques based on constructivist grounded theory were applied. Results four categories were derived from the data: restrictions for everyday life', recovery process', resources for recovery' and performing everyday activities'. Physical and psychological restrictions are consequences of hip fracture that older adults have struggled to address during recovery. Three different resources were found to be beneficial for recovery; supporting and coaching', myself' and technological support'. These resources influenced the recovery process. Having successful experiences during recovery led to doing everyday activities in the same manner as before; unsuccessful experiences led to ceasing certain activities altogether. Conclusion participants highlight their own role (myself') as essential for recovery. Additionally, coaching provides emotional support, which boosts self-confidence in performing everyday activities. Furthermore, technology can encourage older adults to become more active and being engaged in the recovery process. The findings suggest that more attention should be paid to follow-up interventions after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation to support older adults in finding new routines in their everyday activities. A conceptual model is presented and provides an understanding of the participants' experiences and perspectives concerning their process of recovery after hip fracture to everyday life.

BackgroundMost seniors wish to live independently for as long as possible. Gerontechnologies such as personal alarms or remote control systems, have the potential to help them age in place. For seniors, assessing what is the most appropriate technology for their aging in place needs can be difficult. Professionals specifically tasked with matching seniors' needs with technology solutions can greatly help here. Yet not much is known about the challenges these professionals face or how they can optimize their matchmaking service.MethodsParticipatory action research was conducted in the Netherlands, in two phases. In phase one, ten matchmaking dialogues between municipal technology consultants and seniors were observed, followed by interviews with both technology consultants and seniors to understand the current matchmaking service. In phase two, a new matchmaking tool was co-created with technology consultants and other professionals over the course of four co-creation session. Variants of the tool were tested out in nine additional matchmaking dialogues. The Cycle of Technology Acquirement by Independent-Living Seniors (C-TAILS) model, which can be used to understand both origins and consequences of technology acquirement by independent-living seniors, was used as a theoretical lens.ResultsImportant challenges for municipal technology consultants in their current matchmaking practice are: making the matchmaking service more demand oriented and creating an accurate and complete overview of relevant factors within the seniors' individual situation so that an optimal match can be made. Together with technology consultants and other professionals, a new Gerontechnologies Matchmaking (GTM) tool was created to help overcome these challenges. Evaluation of the tool showed that it better includes each senior's personal, social, physical and technological context, within the matchmaking service.ConclusionProfessionals who help seniors match gerontechnology to their aging in place needs experience a variety of challenges in the delivery of their service. Currently, few tools are available for them to overcome these challenges. The newly developed GTM tool can help overcome challenges and optimize matchmaking services. Further testing of the tool in different contexts is needed to determine its generalizability.

Assistive applications (apps) on smartphones could contribute to a better quality of life for seniors living independently at home. At present, there is a lack of empirical evidence of seniors' acceptance of such apps. The Cycle of Technology Acquirement by Independent-Living Seniors (C-TAILS) model was recently proposed for studying the interplay between acceptance factors by integrating the personal, social and technological domains of seniors' daily lives. This study aimed to explore how four groups of factors, clustered in accordance with the C-TAILS model, predict seniors' interest in assistive apps, on a representative sample of the Slovenian population aged 55 years or older. The 617 respondents, who were contacted though a telephone survey, answered a questionnaire about their interest in three groups of assistive apps and four groups of potentially associated acceptance factors. Three linear regression models were used to analyse the association between the factors and the seniors' interest in the three types of assistive apps. Smartphone-related dispositional traits were the strongest predictors across all three models. Among mobile phone usage patterns, smartphone use and the breadth of mobile phone features used were significant factors, while the significance of seniors' personal characteristics and socio-economic conditions varied across the models. Hence, awareness that these factors play different roles in the acceptance of different assistive apps is needed in order to design viable interventions for their acceptance among seniors.

If technologies are to support aging in place, then it is important to develop fundamental knowledge on what causes stability and changes in the use of technologies by seniors. However, longitudinal studies on the long-term use of technologies that have been accepted into the home (i.e., post-implementation use) are very scarce. Many factors potentially could influence post-implementation use, including life events, age-related decline, changes in personal goal orientation, and various types of social influences. The aforementioned factors are likely to be interrelated, adding to the complexity. The goal of this study is to better understand changes and stability in the use of technologies by independent-living seniors, by using a dynamical systems theory approach. A longitudinal qualitative field study was conducted involving home visits to 33 community-dwelling seniors in the Netherlands, on three occasions (2012–2014). Interviews were held on technology usage patterns, including reasons for stable, increased, declined and stopped use. Technologies were included if they required electric power in order to function, were intended to be used in or around the home, and could support activities of daily living, personal health or safety, mobility, communication, and physical activity. Thematic analysis was employed, using constant case comparison to better understand dynamics and interplay between factors. In total, 148 technology use patterns by 33 participants were analyzed. A core of six interrelated factors was closely linked to the frequency of technology use: emotional attachment, need compatibility, cues to use, proficiency to use, input of resources, and support. Additionally, disruptive forces (e.g., social influences, competition with alternative means, changes of personal needs) could induce change by affecting these six factors. Furthermore, long-term technology use was in some cases more resilient to disruption than in other cases. Findings were accumulated in a new framework: Dynamics In Technology Use by Seniors (DITUS). Similar to aging, the use of technologies by older people is complex, dynamic and personal. Periods of stability and change both occur naturally. The DITUS framework can aid in understanding stability and instability of technology use, and in developing and implementing sustainable technological solutions for aging in place.

Urban ageing is an emerging domain that deals with the population of older people living in cities. The ageing of society is a positive yet challenging phenomenon, as population ageing and urbanisation are the culmination of successful human development. One could argue whether the city environment is an ideal place for people to grow old and live at an old age compared to rural areas. This viewpoint article explores and describes the challenges that are encountered when making cities age-friendly in Europe. Such challenges include the creation of inclusive neighbourhoods and the implementation of technology for ageing-in-place. Examples from projects in two age-friendly cities in The Netherlands (The Hague) and Poland (Cracow) are shown to illustrate the potential of making cities more tuned to the needs of older people and identify important challenges for the next couple of years. Overall, the global ageing of urban populations calls for more age-friendly approaches to be implemented in our cities. It is a challenge to prepare for these developments in such a way that both current and future generations of older people can benefit from age-friendly strategies.

Background There is a growing interest in empowering older adults to age-inplace by deploying various types of technology (i.e., eHealth, Ambient Assisted Living technology, Smart Home technology, and Gerontechnology). However, initiatives aimed at implementing these technologies are complicated by the fact that multiple stakeholder groups are involved. Goals and motives of stakeholders may not always be transparent or aligned, yet research on convergent and divergent positions of stakeholders is scarce. Objective To provide insight into the positions of stakeholder groups involved in the implementation of technology for aging-in-place; what kind of technology do they see as relevant, what do they aim to achieve by implementing technology, and what is needed to achieve successful implementations? Methods Monodisciplinary focus groups were conducted with participants (N = 29) representing five groups of stakeholders: older adults (n = 6), care professionals (n = 7), managers within home care or social work organizations (n = 5), technology designers and suppliers (n = 6), and policy makers (n = 5). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Stakeholders considered 26 different types of technologies to be relevant for enabling independent living. Only six types of technology were mentioned by all stakeholder groups. Care professionals mentioned fewer different types of technology than other groups. All stakeholder groups felt that the implementation of technology for aging-inplace can be considered a success when: (1) older adults’ needs and wishes are prioritized during development and deployment of the technology; (2) the technology is accepted by older adults; (3) the technology provides benefits to older adults; and (4) favorable prerequisites for the use of technology by older adults exist. While stakeholders seemed to have identical aims, several underlying differences emerged, for example with regards to who should pay for technology. Additionally, each stakeholder group mentioned specific steps that need to be taken to achieve successful implementation. Collectively, stakeholders feel they need to take the leap (i.e., change attitudes, change policies, collaborate with other organizations); bridge the gap (i.e., match technology with individuals, stimulate interdisciplinary education); facilitate technology for the masses (i.e., work on products and research that supports large-scale rollouts, train target groups on how to use technology); and take time to reflect (i.e., evaluate use and outcomes). Conclusions Stakeholders largely agree on the direction in which they should be heading; however, they have different perspectives with regards to the technologies that can be

BACKGROUND:As for all individuals, the Internet is important in the everyday life of older adults. Research on older adults' use of the Internet has merely focused on users versus nonusers and consequences of Internet use and nonuse. Older adults are a heterogeneous group, which may implicate that their use of the Internet is diverse as well. Older adults can use the Internet for different activities, and this usage can be of influence on benefits the Internet can have for them.OBJECTIVE:The aim of this paper was to describe the diversity or heterogeneity in the activities for which older adults use the Internet and determine whether diversity is related to social or health-related variables.METHODS:We used data of a national representative Internet panel in the Netherlands. Panel members aged 65 years and older and who have access to and use the Internet were selected (N=1418). We conducted a latent class analysis based on the Internet activities that panel members reported to spend time on. Second, we described the identified clusters with descriptive statistics and compared the clusters using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests.RESULTS:Four clusters were distinguished. Cluster 1 was labeled as the "practical users" (36.88%, n=523). These respondents mainly used the Internet for practical and financial purposes such as searching for information, comparing products, and banking. Respondents in Cluster 2, the "minimizers" (32.23%, n=457), reported lowest frequency on most Internet activities, are older (mean age 73 years), and spent the smallest time on the Internet. Cluster 3 was labeled as the "maximizers" (17.77%, n=252); these respondents used the Internet for various activities, spent most time on the Internet, and were relatively younger (mean age below 70 years). Respondents in Cluster 4, the "social users," mainly used the Internet for social and leisure-related activities such as gaming and social network sites. The identified clusters significantly differed in age (P<.001, ω2=0.07), time spent on the Internet (P<.001, ω2=0.12), and frequency of downloading apps (P<.001, ω2=0.14), with medium to large effect sizes. Social and health-related variables were significantly different between the clusters, except social and emotional loneliness. However, effect sizes were small. The minimizers scored significantly lower on psychological well-being, instrumental activities of daily living (iADL), and experienced health compared with the practical users and maximizers.CONCLUSIONS:Older adults are a diverse group in terms of their activities on the Internet. This underlines the importance to look beyond use versus nonuse when studying older adults' Internet use. The clusters we have identified in this study can help tailor the development and deployment of eHealth intervention to specific segments of the older population.

Aim: Technology is suggested to support ageing-in-place. For care- and technology professionals working with older persons it is important to know how to facilitate the use of technology by older persons. This paper presents the translation of the results of a field study into multilevel and multidisciplinary educational material. Method: During home visits, community-dwelling seniors were interviewed regarding reasons for their level of technology use. All types of technology that could support activities of daily living, were included. Resulting themes formed the basis of the development of personas and scripts for education. Next, lecturers from vocational and higher technical and care education developed an evidence-based educational module from the perspective of professional service provision. Results: 53 older adults were interviewed. The level of technology use is influenced by six themes: challenges in the domain of independent living; behavioural options; personal thoughts on technology use; influence of the social network; influence of organisations; and the role of the physical environment. Four personas were developed, one of which was featured into a film, with twelve separate scenes. For each scene, lessons were developed that consisted of specific questions (first level), in-depth questions (second level) and suggestions for classes (for lecturers). Three personas were translated into case histories. Conclusion: Older adults’ perceptions and use of technology are embedded in their personal, social, and physical context. To improve successful technology use to support ageing-in-place, professionals from the domain of care and technology can be trained to be aware of these factors.

Doelstelling: In Nederland maken steeds meer ouderen gebruik van internet. Eerder onderzoek richt zich vooral op de vraag waarom de ene oudere wel online gaat en de andere niet. Er is echter weinig onderzoek gedaan naar de doelen waarvoor ouderen internet gebruiken. Dit artikel wil het inzicht in de activiteiten van internettende ouderen vergroten: hoe divers is hun internetgebruik, en zijn er verschillende subgroepen van ouderen te onderscheiden?

Background: Living independently can be challenging for seniors. Technologies are expected to help older adults age in place, yet little empirical research is available on how seniors develop a need for technologies, how they acquire these technologies, and how these subsequently affect their lives. Aging is complex, dynamic and personal. But how does this translate to seniors' adoption and acceptance of technology? To better understand origins and consequences of technology acquirement by independent-living seniors, an explorative longitudinal qualitative field study was set up.Methods: Home visits were made to 33 community-dwelling seniors living in the Netherlands, on three occasions (2012-2014). Semi-structured interviews were conducted on the timeline of acquirements, and people and factors involved in acquirements. Additionally, participants were interviewed on experiences in using technologies since acquirement. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze interview transcripts, using a realist approach to better understand the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of technology acquirements.Results: Findings were accumulated in a new conceptual model: The Cycle of Technology Acquirement by Independent-Living Seniors (C-TAILS), which provides an integrative perspective on why and how technologies are acquired, and why these may or may not prove to be appropriate and effective, considering an independent-living senior's needs and circumstances at a given point in time. We found that externally driven and purely desire-driven acquirements led to a higher risk of suboptimal use and low levels of need satisfaction.Conclusions: Technology acquirement by independent-living seniors may be best characterized as a heterogeneous process with many different origins, pathways and consequences. Furthermore, technologies that are acquired in ways that are not congruent with seniors' personal needs and circumstances run a higher risk of proving to be ineffective or inappropriate. Yet, these needs and circumstances are subject to change, and the C-TAILS model can be employed to better understand contexts and mechanisms that come into play.

Background: There is a growing interest in empowering older adults to age in place by deploying various types of technology (ie, eHealth, ambient assisted living technology, smart home technology, and gerontechnology). However, initiatives aimed at implementing these technologies are complicated by the fact that multiple stakeholder groups are involved. Goals and motives of stakeholders may not always be transparent or aligned, yet research on convergent and divergent positions of stakeholders is scarce. Objective: To provide insight into the positions of stakeholder groups involved in the implementation of technology for aging in place by answering the following questions: What kind of technology do stakeholders see as relevant? What do stakeholders aim to achieve by implementing technology? What is needed to achieve successful implementations? Methods: Mono-disciplinary focus groups were conducted with participants (n=29) representing five groups of stakeholders: older adults (6/29, 21%), care professionals (7/29, 24%), managers within home care or social work organizations (5/29, 17%), technology designers and suppliers (6/29, 21%), and policy makers (5/29, 17%). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Stakeholders considered 26 different types of technologies to be relevant for enabling independent living. Only 6 out of 26 (23%) types of technology were mentioned by all stakeholder groups. Care professionals mentioned fewer different types of technology than other groups. All stakeholder groups felt that the implementation of technology for aging in place can be considered a success when (1) older adults’ needs and wishes are prioritized during development and deployment of the technology, (2) the technology is accepted by older adults, (3) the technology provides benefits to older adults, and (4) favorable prerequisites for the use of technology by older adults exist. While stakeholders seemed to have identical aims, several underlying differences emerged, for example, with regard to who should pay for the technology. Additionally, each stakeholder group mentioned specific steps that need to be taken to achieve successful implementation. Collectively, stakeholders felt that they need to take the leap (ie, change attitudes, change policies, and collaborate with other organizations); bridge the gap (ie, match technology with individuals and stimulate interdisciplinary education); facilitate technology for the masses (ie, work on products and research that support large-scale rollouts and train target groups on how to use technology); and take time to reflect (ie, evaluate use and outcomes). Conclusions: Stakeholders largely agree on the direction in which they should be heading; however, they have different perspectives with regard to the technologies that can be employed and the work that is needed to implement them. Central to these issues seems to be the tailoring of technology or technologies to the specific needs of each community-dwelling older adult and the work that is needed by stakeholders to support this type of service delivery on a large scale.

Purpose More and more seniors are using computers and smartphones on a regular basis (1). However, research shows that many seniors are only using a small number of the apps available to them, in contrast to younger adults (2). The current study aims to explore reasons for this selective use of apps by seniors.. Method A longitudinal qualitative field study (2012-2015) was carried out among 33 community-dwelling seniors (20 females, 13 males), aged 68-95 and living in the Netherlands. Semi-structured interviews were held on reasons for the level of use of various types of technology, including ICT-devices (3). For this abstract, interviews of participants who stated that they use a limited number of apps were analyzed by employing thematic analysis. Results A total of 27 participants were using ICT-devices, and 11 participants limited the number of apps they were using to two or three, mostly to e-mail and Skype. Selective use was related to participants’ tendency to avoid things that would take too much energy and a preference for more relaxing activities (e.g., gardening). Participants also had difficulty in using computers, and often had to rely on others for help. They felt no need to use more apps, perceived themselves as laggards, and did not want to become addicted to using a computer. Discussion Our findings are in line with Baltes and Baltes4 concept of ‘Selection’, which describes how seniors who are confronted with more options than their internal and external resources can handle, are forced to concentrate their energy on a subset of those options.

BACKGROUND:Most older adults prefer to age in place, and supporting older adults to remain in their own homes and communities is also favored by policy makers. Technology can play a role in staying independent, active and healthy. However, the use of technology varies considerably among older adults. Previous research indicates that current models of technology acceptance are missing essential predictors specific to community-dwelling older adults. Furthermore, in situ research within the specific context of aging in place is scarce, while this type of research is needed to better understand how and why community-dwelling older adults are using technology.OBJECTIVE:To explore which factors influence the level of use of various types of technology by older adults who are aging in place and to describe these factors in a comprehensive model.METHODS:A qualitative explorative field study was set up, involving home visits to 53 community-dwelling older adults, aged 68-95, living in the Netherlands. Purposive sampling was used to include participants with different health statuses, living arrangements, and levels of technology experience. During each home visit: (1) background information on the participants' chronic conditions, major life events, frailty, cognitive functioning, subjective health, ownership and use of technology was gathered, and (2) a semistructured interview was conducted regarding reasons for the level of use of technology. The study was designed to include various types of technology that could support activities of daily living, personal health or safety, mobility, communication, physical activity, personal development, and leisure activities. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze interview transcripts.RESULTS:The level of technology use in the context of aging in place is influenced by six major themes: challenges in the domain of independent living; behavioral options; personal thoughts on technology use; influence of the social network; influence of organizations, and the role of the physical environment.CONCLUSION:Older adults' perceptions and use of technology are embedded in their personal, social, and physical context. Awareness of these psychological and contextual factors is needed in order to facilitate aging in place through the use of technology. A conceptual model covering these factors is presented.