Human Factors Considerations in Design for the Elderly

The elderly population is growing worldwide: the number of people aged 60 and older is expected to rise from 1 billion in 2020 to 2.1 billion by 2050 (WHO), while care costs become volatile and the number of carers declines. Assistive devices and support systems can promote successful aging, and ergonomics helps ensure that system demands match older people's abilities. The paper notes that, despite its wide use in healthcare and workplace design, ergonomics is usually neglected in the design of digital products, assistive devices and social technologies. The study therefore analyzes problems associated with aging and considers human factors solutions for designing products and services for older people.

A literature review using the PRISMA flow (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses).

• Search: Google Scholar, with an age-related term (e.g., "elderly", "senior", "older", "aging") and "human factors" or "ergonomics" in the article title; journal and review articles, research reports and conference papers in English; last search on November 19, 2021.
• Selection: 160 publications found. The authors excluded 19 duplicates, 11 non-English papers, 18 book chapters, 19 studies that did not match the search keywords and 30 that did not meet the study objectives, leaving 63 studies for in-depth analysis.
• Analysis: issues were categorized as physical, cognitive or organizational factors, and summarized by application domain (healthcare, home, transportation, digital devices, assistive devices, workstation and their sub-areas). For each domain, the authors recorded whether issues were found and whether they were addressed.

• Review finding: Physical factors were the most common problems for older adults, followed by organizational and cognitive issues. Physical issues included balance and mobility, physical disorders, chronic diseases and sensory decline. Cognitive issues included memory decline, attention, mental health and lack of technical knowledge. Organizational issues included safety, privacy and autonomy, and usability.
• Review finding: Although human factors are widely considered in design for older people, they are still disregarded in some domains, particularly monitoring, driving, computers and wearable technology (Table 1).
• Design considerations (home): pay attention to floor surfaces, room lighting and handrails in bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens; light sensors in the wardrobe and bathroom corridor and an alarm bell in the bathroom can help prevent falls; a device that helps older people sit and stand at home is also needed.
• Design considerations (vehicles and digital devices): consider complex road signs in dark environments, ergonomic car seats and vehicle step heights, and address privacy in autonomous driving. For computers and communication devices, use larger screens and fonts, suitable target and background colors, and clear sound.
• Design considerations (health, wearables and work): healthcare devices such as electronic personal health records (ePHRs) and eHealth should be easy to access and use, with privacy carefully addressed. Ergonomically designed, accessible wearables could help with blood pressure, pulse and emergency detection. For older workers, the authors recommend temperature-related risk detection devices, smart safety kits and ergonomically equipped work environments.

The authors conclude that ergonomics is needed to make products and systems more personalized for older adults, given their weaker physical and cognitive functions compared with young adults. The key findings let them derive considerations for ergonomics in designing products and systems for older people across application domains (healthcare, home, transportation, digital devices, assistive and wearable devices, and the workplace). The paper does not state explicit limitations or future research directions.