The proposed research seeks to apply human factors research techniques from a successful pilot project to accomplish a person capability - environment demand analysis of older adult functioning for a select set of activities of daily living (ADLs) involving instrumental behavior. The overall objectives of the proposed research aim at: (1) empirically specifying parameters for environment designs and technologies for daily living which reduce demands for specific instrumental capabilities; and (2) estimating their potential for extending functional abilities of older adults via development and test of a task-based protocol for assessment of instrumental capabilities having demonstrated relevance to ADL task demands with samples of older adults reflecting a range of ADL performance capabilities. The long term goal of this research is to demonstrate the power of human factors research techniques in the study of functional abilities in advancing age and design of competency enhancing environments for older persons. Three major phases of activity over a three-year project period. An activity survey of 250 adults over age 60 years serves as a basis for selecting a subsample (90 cases) for videotape recording of actual or simulated activity performance in each of eight activity areas involving instrumental behaviors (e.g., shopping, cooking, getting in/out of a bathtub). Videotape records form the basis for task analysis of activities using a developed methodology which (a) specifies transactions between the older adult and the environment involved in each of the eight activity clusters; and (b) resolves transactions in terms of comparable person and environment components and specific characteristics of both which are relevant to task performance (e.g., pedestrian mobility and postural change under conditions of transport load and barrier negotiation, and manual dexterity and force application as a function of specific task and objects, tools, or devices in the environment. Age comparable samples are drawn from various levels of community care and ambulatory institutional care to compare sample capabilities with levels of environment demand associated with task areas in which they experience problems and/or receive support.
| Czaja, S J; Weber, R A; Nair, S N (1993) A human factors analysis of ADL activities: a capability-demand approach. J Gerontol 48 Spec No:44-8 |
| Clark, M C; Czaja, S J; Weber, R A (1990) Older adults and daily living task profiles. Hum Factors 32:537-49 |
