Researchers at Georgia Tech's Center for Advanced Communications Policy will use the funding to help older adults access assistive technologies that support independent living.

Principal research scientist Nathan Moon and a team of colleagues at the Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) in Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts were awarded a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The project is in collaboration with the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) in the College of Design.

The funding will support the ACCESS for Aging Well with Assistive Technology (AT) 2.0 project, which builds on the researchers’ previous work to help older adults live independently.

“As Americans continue to age and we're growing older as a society, we want to ensure that people can continue to live independently and participate in the communities of their choice,” Moon said. “The tools that we have developed here are intended to do that.”
 

Assistive Technology Supports Independence 

According to AARP, 75% of adults over 50 want to age in their homes. However, Retirement Living reports only 10% of homes are appropriately equipped to do so. Assistive technologies can help older adults live independently longer, but finding the right solutions and learning how to access them can be difficult.

ACCESS for Aging Well with AT 2.0 addresses those challenges by using machine learning, predictive analytics, and community partnerships to connect people with the tools and resources they need.
 

Expanding Access and Community 

The researchers will use the funding to integrate the existing ACCESS for Aging Well website and assistive technology catalog into a single platform that provides assessments, recommendations, and solutions for older adults via machine learning, predictive analytics, expert insight, and state assistive technology program data.

It will foster an active community through online discussion forums, social media, product reviews, and informational articles. The team will also analyze community discussions with AI-based tools to refine recommendations and identify new or innovative ways people may be using assistive technology.

Finally, the funding will help the researchers connect with organizations such as senior centers, rehabilitation centers, and state aging agencies to expand access to assistive technologies and meet older Americans where they are.
 

Every Dollar Spent on Assistive Technology Saves $9 

The project also supports a significant return on investment.

“For every $1 spent on assistive technology, people save $9,” Moon said. “Assisted living is terribly expensive. We will never replace assisted living or nursing homes, but we do want to give people the choice to age successfully in their communities of choice.”

Using technology to improve lives is a central mission of the Ivan Allen College and Georgia Tech, and researchers at CACP and CIDI collaborate across disciplines to do just that.

“We're using AI and harnessing the cutting edge of technology to make better recommendations based on what we know, but it’s not just technology for technology’s sake. We put the people first and technology follows. It's there to be a support.”