Multi-domain Model of Healthy Ageing: The Experience of the H2020 NESTORE Project

Ageing is a complex multidimensional and multifactorial process associated with the decline in multiple physiological systems which can lead to frailties and disabilities over the lifespan. With the aim of supporting healthy older adults in order to sustain their wellbeing and capacity to live independently, the NESTORE project was recently funded by the EU Commission. In order to take into account the complex interactions among different aspects involved in the ageing processes, a model of healthy ageing was developed in NESTORE. This model included three core dimensions related to older people wellbeing (Physical/Physiological, Nutritional, Cognitive/Mental/Social). The NESTORE model was intended to provide a structured arrangement of the knowledge coming from such different domains in order to provide a simplified pool of information for: (i) the characterization of the older adults, (ii) the personalization of the coaching plans and (iii) the implementation of an effective ICT system

A Cyber Secured IoT: Fostering Smart Living and Safety of Fragile Individuals in Intelligent Environments

Due to better living conditions and progress in medicine older adults today are the main group of population in terms of growing speed. Furthermore, together with disabled people, they represent the most frail category of individuals. Indeed, they are likely to present different constellations of impairments (both at physical and cognitive level). Older adults and individuals with disabilities strongly benefit from being properly assisted or from prolonging their individual autonomy. Such interventions can be implemented levering on the IoT technologies. The present paper describes a project that aims at providing older and disabled people with smart buildings that will be equipped with IoT technologies, e.g., environmental and wearable sensors. The identification of such technologies will be based on co-design activities that will focus on their accessibility and usability. Concurrent laboratory tests will be carried out to assess the best methodologies of wireless communication between the smart devices. These ambient-assisted living tools will be installed in two real-world scenarios, i.e., a nursing home and a co-housing solution. Such tools will facilitate older and disabled people in carrying out daily activities, ensuring their safety and privacy protection. The outcomes of the project will provide pivotal information on how to improve human living in different environmental contexts

The design, implementation and evaluation of a mobile app for supporting older adults in the monitoring of food intake

Older adults are required to adjust their eating habits to maintain a good health status. However, they may struggle to adopt these new practices. Given their increasing spread, smartphone-based interventions may be a good option for providing older adults an aid to keep track of their food intake. In the present work we adopted a user centered design approach to implement and evaluate a mobile app, i.e., \u2018Salus\u2019, to support older adults in the monitoring food intak

Association of physical capacity with heart rate variability based on a short-duration measurement of resting pulse rate in older adults with obesity.

Obesity can limit physical capacity and lower physical activity levels in elderly people. Low physical activity levels may be mediated by autonomic dysfunction with decreased heart rate variability (HRV). However, the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and low physical capability remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the association of low physical capability with HRV in older adults with obesity.We recruited 231 old man and 210 old women with a mean (range) age of 65.5 (51-78) and 62.9 (52-76) years, respectively. Physical capability was measured using mobility tasks, including functional reach, single-leg stance (SLS), gait speed (GS), timed up and go, and timed chair rise (TCR), and the scores on these tasks were merged and transformed into a global physical capability score (GPCS). HRV was measured using a 7-min resting pulse-based technique, and the time- and frequency-domain indices of HRV were obtained including standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences at rest (rMSSD), and high-frequency (HF) power. All HRV indices were natural log (ln) transformed for analysis. Participants were divided into high, moderate, and low physical-capability groups according to their physical performance. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to test differences in HRV indices among physical-capability groups with participants' characteristics serving as covariates. A stepwise regression model was established to identify the determinants of HRV indices. We used hierarchical regression analysis to identify the association of the GPCS with HRV indices.In both men and women, the low physical-capability group exhibited significantly increased heart rate (P <0.05) and decreased HRV in terms of a decreased ln[SDNN] (P <0.001), ln[rMSSD] (P <0.05) and ln[HF] (P <0.05), compared with the high physical-capability group. GS positively predicted ln[SDNN], whereas SLS, GS, and TCR were determinants of ln[HF], regardless of gender. The GPCS in older men and women independently accounted for 29.9% (P <0.001) and 23.7% (P <0.001), respectively, in variance in ln[SDNN].A low physical-capability level is an independent determinant of decreased HRV in older adults with obesity