Information processing technology and aging

An important factor to be considered with old age is cognitive decline. Thus information processing technologies need to be centered on factors that define cognition. This article highlights some of the important conceptual models and theories that govern design of such systems. The main focus is to look at the different information processing technologies that are presently used for enabling better functional performance. As the nation’s baby boomers grow older, there exists a growing demand for a good support system that can ease their burden. Technology is ubiquitous in most social contexts in the United States and other industrialized countries and has become an important part of everyday life as an integral component of most activities. The advent of technology has shown promising results in various fields such as the delivery of care and in-vehicle driving technology by focusing on the needs of older adults and placing them at the center of this transformation. Such systems would work in favor of improving and empowering not just the elderly but also their families while reducing some of the burden on them and increasing independence. Yet there continues to exist a digital divide amongst the elderly population with less use of technology causing them to become disenfranchised and disadvantaged.