AGE-WELL Annual Conference

2023

Poster Abstract
Book

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overcoming Apathy Among Community Dwelling Older Adults in Northern British
Columbia: The Benefits of Engaging in a Kobo eReader Book Club (Poster #1).................. 11
Aderonke Agboji (Presenter)............................................................................................................ 11

Family Caregivers’ Views on Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Technology for Older Adult
Care: Cross-Sectional Survey (Poster #2) .......................................................................... 11
Amanda Yee (Presenter) .................................................................................................................. 11

Validation of a Novel Vision-Based Technology for Joint Angles Estimation (Poster #3).... 12
Ali Barzegar Khanghah (Presenter) .................................................................................................. 12

Enhancing High Repetition Stroke Rehabilitation Through a Novel Gamified System with
Vision-Based Pose-Tracking Algorithms: A Usability Study (Poster #4) ............................. 13
Deniz Jafari (Presenter) .................................................................................................................... 13

COMPAs: An App to Break Social Isolation & Promote Person-Centered Communication
Between People Living With Dementia and Their Caregivers in Long-Term Care Centers(Poster #5) ....................................................................................................................... 13
Barbara Delacourt (Presenter) ......................................................................................................... 14

Exploring Mixed Reality (MR) Applications for Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment(MCI) Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review (Poster #6) ......................................................... 14
Farnaz Koubasi (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 14

A Clustering-Based Approach to Evaluate Older Adults' Safety in Conditionally Automated
Vehicles (Poster #7) ......................................................................................................... 15
Gelareh Hajian (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 15

Self-Supervised Learning for Human Activity Recognition of the Elderly in Smart Home
(Poster #8) ....................................................................................................................... 16
Hui Chen (Presenter) ........................................................................................................................ 16

Determining What Patients With COPD Will Accept for Remote Clinical Monitoring: aPatient Engagement Study (Poster #9) ............................................................................. 16
Jeyani Jeyaparan (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 16

Five Ways to Enable Persons Living With Dementia to Remain at Home or Existing Level ofCare in Canada (Poster #10) ............................................................................................. 17
Isaac Adedeji (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 17

Relationship Between Simulated Driving and Subjective Driving Ability (Poster #11) ....... 18
Katherine Bak (Presenter) ................................................................................................................ 18

Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Remote Monitoring (Poster #12) ...................................... 19
Jenan Bouakkar (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 19

Advancing Stroke Rehabilitation in an Aging Population: Unveiling the Potential of Mixed
Reality Technologies (Poster #13) .................................................................................... 19
Mathieu Figeys (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 19

Reflection on Co-researching Experiences with Patient and Family Partners in
Implementing Telepresence Robots in Long-term Care (Poster #14) ................................. 20
Joey Wong (Presenter) ..................................................................................................................... 20

Digital Health Interventions for Chronic Disease Management Among Older Adults in
Developed Countries: A Scoping Review (Poster #15) ...................................................... 21
Mir Nabila Ashraf (Presenter) .......................................................................................................... 21

Observations and Testing of the Tochtech Sleepsense Bed Sensor in a Retirement
Community and Lab Setting (Poster #16) ......................................................................... 22
Laura Ault (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 22

Dual-Task Listening-While-Balancing Performance in Older Adults with Normal-Hearingand Hearing Aid Users (Poster #17) .................................................................................. 22
Niroshica Mohanathas (Presenter) .................................................................................................. 22

Co-creating Multisensory/Multimodal Financial Service Virtual Agents With Older Adults(Poster #19) ..................................................................................................................... 23
Rezvan Boostani (Presenter) ............................................................................................................ 23

Testing Tom: Creating an Accessible User Testing Experience (Poster #20) ....................... 24
Munazza Tahir (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 24

Enhancing Dementia Care in Rural Communities: Insights from AgeTech Implementation in
Northern British Columbia (Poster #21) ........................................................................... 24
Sarah Sousa (Presenter) ................................................................................................................... 24

One Size Does Not Fit All: Variability in Device and Content Preferences of Persons Living
With Dementia and Their Family Carers (Poster #22) ....................................................... 25
Raheleh Saryazdi (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 25

Engaging Young Dementia Caregivers in Co-Design to Improve Social Connection (Poster#23) ................................................................................................................................. 26
Tyler Redublo (Presenter) ................................................................................................................ 26

Understanding Issues of Supporting Elderly Parents Aging in Place: A Topic-Guided
Thematic Analysis of Two Reddit Communities (Poster #24) ............................................ 27
Leila Homaeian (Presenter).............................................................................................................. 27

Use of GuardIO, a Health Canada-licensed Mobile Application, and Machine Learning to
Describe Mobility Patterns of Persons Living With Dementia (Poster #25) ....................... 27
Christine Daum (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 28

TRILL – Continuing Creative Connectivity in Care Homes – and Beyond (Poster #26) ........ 28
Richard Barham (Presenter)............................................................................................................. 28

Rural Older Patient Experiences of Health-seeking in Low- and Middle-Income Countries(LMICs): a Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies (Poster #27)29
Ziyue Wang (Presenter) ................................................................................................................... 29

Self-generated Motor Activity at Encoding Benefits Route Memory (Poster #28) ............. 30

Yadurshana Sivashankar (Presenter) ............................................................................................... 30

Protective Capacity of Head Gear Designed to Protect Older Adults Under Fall Conditions(Poster #29) ..................................................................................................................... 30
Alexandra Hughes (Presenter) ......................................................................................................... 30

Evaluating the Role of AI-falls Risk Predictive Algorithms in a Physiotherapist’s Falls Risk
Assessment (Poster #30) .................................................................................................. 31
Yashoda Sharma (Presenter)............................................................................................................ 31

The YourCare+ Self-Referral Platform for Home and Community Support Services (Poster#31) ................................................................................................................................. 32
Sydney Jones (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 32

Comparative Analysis of Usability Studies on PRIMS: Insights and Implications (Poster #33)........................................................................................................................................ 32
Jake Taylor (Presenter) .................................................................................................................... 32

Evaluating the Ability of a Predictive Vision-Based Machine Learning Model to Measure
Changes in Gait in Response to Medication and DBS Within Individuals with Parkinson’s
Disease (Poster #34) ........................................................................................................ 33
Andrea Sabo (Presenter) .................................................................................................................. 33

Designing an In-App Tutorial for a Smartphone-Based Memory Aid Using the Person-BasedApproach (Poster #35) ..................................................................................................... 34
Raphael Kwok (Presenter)................................................................................................................ 34

Validation of a Brief Scale to Measure Usability of Locator Device Products (Poster #36) . 35
Antonio Miguel Cruz (Presenter) ..................................................................................................... 35

Kinematics Analysis of a Set of Static and Dynamic Functional Activities Amongst Elderly
With and Without History of Fall, and Healthy Young People (Poster #37) ...................... 35
Farhad Azadi (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 35

Measuring Kitchen Activity in Older Adults Through the Use of Videos (Poster #38) ........ 36
Bruce Wallace (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 36

An Exploratory Investigation of the LOVOT Social Robot as a Companion for Older Adults
in Long Term Care (Poster #39) ........................................................................................ 37
Joey Wong (Presenter) ..................................................................................................................... 37

Supporting Healthy Aging Through Community-Academic Partnerships, Research, andPersonal Health Information Tracking (Poster #40) .......................................................... 38
Dawn Pittman (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 38

Co-adaptation of Smart Technologies and Older Adults Aging in Place: A Scoping Literature
Review (Poster #41) ......................................................................................................... 38
Kristina Kokorelias (Presenter)......................................................................................................... 38

An Evidence and Gap Map of Studies on Digital Interventions to Reduce Social Isolationand Loneliness Among Older Adults (Poster #42) ............................................................. 39

Elizabeth Ghogomu (Presenter) ....................................................................................................... 39

Enhancing Hospital Workflow Efficiency and Safety Through Novel Patient Transfer Device
Implementation: A Pilot Study (Poster #43) ..................................................................... 40
Martin Bilodeau (Presenter) ............................................................................................................ 40

Adapting Exergaming Technology (MouvMat) for Older Adults Living in LTCHs (Poster #44)........................................................................................................................................ 41
Charlene Chu (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 41

What’s Your Aging Story? How Digital Storytelling Can Change the Way We Look at Aging(Poster #45) ..................................................................................................................... 42
Michelle Goonasekera (Presenter) .................................................................................................. 42

Empowering Senior Care at Home: A Comprehensive Review of Indoor Localization
Technologies (Poster #46) ................................................................................................ 42
Koorosh Roohi (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 42

Co-Designing Socio-Culturally-Appropriate Virtual Geriatric Care for Diverse Older Adults
Living with HIV: A Community-Based Participatory, Intersectional Protocol (Poster #47) . 43
Paige Brown (Presenter) .................................................................................................................. 43

Reducing the Burdens of Professional Caregivers of Older Adults Using Assistive
Technology: a Scoping Review (Poster #48)...................................................................... 44
Norma Chinho (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 44

Evaluating Swidget Technology Across Six Aging Personas (Poster #49) ........................... 45
Laura Ault (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 45

Initial Feasibility of a Blended Online Memory and Brain Health Promotion Intervention
for Older Adults (Poster #50) ........................................................................................... 46
Renée Biss (Presenter) ..................................................................................................................... 46

Getting Serious About Serious VR Games for People with Dementia: A Scoping Review ofApplications Designed to Date (Poster #51) ..................................................................... 46
Isabella Garito (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 46

Hearing Aid-Integrated Assistive Listening for Live Music (Poster #52) ............................. 47
Sean McWeeny (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 47

A Qualitative Evaluation of Implementing New Technologies into Older Adult Care Settings(Poster #53) ..................................................................................................................... 48
Shaghayegh Mirbaha (Presenter) .................................................................................................... 48

Developing a User Interface to Provide Sensor Feedback to Care Partners of Those With
Cognitive Impairment (Poster #54) .................................................................................. 49
Neil W. Thomas (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 49

Evaluating Vision-Based Human Motion Encoders for Gait Analysis and Parkinsonism
Severity Prediction in Clinical Settings (Poster #55) .......................................................... 49
Vida Adeli (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 49

How Vision Loss Affects Older Adults’ Narrative Listening Experiences (Poster #56)......... 50
Signe Lund Mathiesen (Presenter) ................................................................................................... 50

Frailty indicators as contributors to older persons' degree of active living (Poster #57) .... 51
Ezinne Ekediegwu (Presenter) ......................................................................................................... 51

MotionAGFormer: A Versatile Two-Stream Model for Efficient and Accurate 3D Human
Pose Estimation in Ambient Monitoring Systems (Poster #58) ......................................... 52
Soroush Mehraban (Presenter)........................................................................................................ 52

Two-Eyed Seeing: Co-creating culturally-safe and relevant diabetes care with urban/rural
Indigenous Communities in British Columbia (Poster #59) ............................................... 52
Viviane Josewski (Presenter) ............................................................................................................ 52

Acquisition and Use of Assistive Technology from the Perspectives of Older Adults With
Multiple Sclerosis Living in Ontario (Poster #60) .............................................................. 53
Alexandra Jackson (Presenter) ......................................................................................................... 53

Streamlining Frailty Assessment Using a Fully Guided Smartphone/tablet Application:
Validation of the Fit-Frailty App in a Geriatric Clinic (Poster #61) ..................................... 54
Aastha Relan (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 54

Real-time Recognition of Lower Limb Rehabilitation Exercises Using 3D Neural Networks(Poster #62) ..................................................................................................................... 55
Alireza Ettefagh (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 55

Accessible Spaces in All the Right Places: Understanding Employers’ Perspectives on
Workers with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (MCI|EOD) (Poster #63) .............. 56
Ashley Cole (Presenter) .................................................................................................................... 56

Preliminary findings for a scoping review of reviews on assistive technology to support
dementia management (Poster #64) ................................................................................ 56
Chaitali Desai (Presenter)................................................................................................................. 57

Impact of Dementia TV videos, Tailored for People Living with Moderate to Severe
Dementia in Care Settings (Poster #65) ............................................................................ 57
Diane Pan (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 57

A Systematic Review of Voice Payment Systems for Users with Cognitive Disabilities:
Usability, Accessibility, and Design Recommendations (Poster #66) ................................. 58
Fatoumata Bah (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 58

Estimation of Outdoor Street Crossings Safety and Usability for Pedestrians Using YOLOv7
and DeepSORT Algorithms (Poster #67) ........................................................................... 59
Jakson Paterson (Presenter) ............................................................................................................ 59

GARDEN Framework for Rehabilitation Game Design: Interdisciplinary Refinement for
Framework Implementation (Poster #68) ........................................................................ 60
Gordon Tao (Presenter) ................................................................................................................... 60

Factors That Influence the Usability of the Telecare App for Older Adults who are Aging inPlace (Poster #69) ............................................................................................................ 61
Cristina Perdomo Delgado (Presenter) ............................................................................................ 61

Perceptions of a Community Delivered Stroke Intervention Using a Smart Mirror (Poster#70) ................................................................................................................................. 62
Isabelle Rash (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 62

Exploring the Association Between Driving Space, Age, and Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease
in Cognitively Normal Older Adults (Poster #71) .............................................................. 62
Kelly Long (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 62

Cloud Native Remote Monitoring Data Ecosystem for Aging Population based on
Commercial AAL Sensors (Poster #72) .............................................................................. 63
Kang Wang (Presenter) .................................................................................................................... 63

In Bed Body Posture Monitoring for Pressure Injury Prevention Among Seniors with
Frailty: A Pilot Study (Poster #73)..................................................................................... 63
Lindsay Stern (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 63

The Experiences and Challenges of Family Caregivers Using Telepresence Robot with
Residents with Dementia at Long-Term Care Homes (Poster #74) .................................... 64
Lily Haopu Ren (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 64

Human-computer Interactions and Compassionate Healthcare: A Wizard of Oz Study Usinga Self-administered AI-assisted Cognitive Assessment (Poster #76) .................................. 65
Miini Teng (Presenter) ..................................................................................................................... 65

Identifying a Built Environment Framework and the Effects of Different Built Environment
Measures on Driving Behaviours of Cognitively Intact Older Adults (Poster #77) .............. 66
Rayeheh Hafezifar (Presenter) ......................................................................................................... 66

Older Adults’ Naturalistic Driving Behaviours: Navigational and Maneuvering Driving
Patterns (Poster #78) ....................................................................................................... 67
Reihaneh Derafshi (Presenter) ......................................................................................................... 67“Whose Ethics Inform That Code?” An Analysis of International Social Robotics Policy inConsultation with the Aging and Dementia Community (Poster #79) ............................... 67
Jill Dosso (Presenter) ........................................................................................................................ 67

Hearing Aid Accelerometry Can be Used to Document Clinical Assessment Scores (Poster#80) ................................................................................................................................. 68
Heidi Sveistrup (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 68

Determination of an Optimal Cut off Score for Pain Detection by an Automated Computer
Vision System Designed to Monitor Pain Behaviour in Older Adults with and without
Dementia (Poster #81) ..................................................................................................... 69
Rhonda Stopyn (Presenter) .............................................................................................................. 69

Integrating Daily Rituals into the Design of Assistive Technologies for People with
Dementia – A Scoping Review (Poster #82) ...................................................................... 70

Rupsha Mutsuddi (Presenter) .......................................................................................................... 70

Promoting Engagement in Social Robot Research: Lessons from the DISRUPT Workshops(Poster #83) ..................................................................................................................... 70
Susanna Martin (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 70

Indicators of Successful Implementation of Digital Technologies for Older Adults (Poster#84) ................................................................................................................................. 71
Jeffrey Jutai (Presenter) ................................................................................................................... 71

In-Home Classification of In-Home Activities with Ultra-Wideband Localization (Poster#85) ................................................................................................................................. 72
Andrew Chan (Presenter)................................................................................................................. 72

Wearable Bioelectronic Balance Restoration in Older Adults (Poster #86) ........................ 73
John Ralston (Presenter) .................................................................................................................. 73

Able Innovations ALTATM – Research on New Features (Poster #87) ............................... 73
Bahareh Chimehi (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 73

Using RTLS to Assess and Predict Motor Agitation Events (Poster #88) ............................. 74
Zain Hasan (Presenter) ..................................................................................................................... 74

Virtual GERAS DANCE for Older Adults: Facilitators and Barriers to Successful
Implementation Across Diverse Settings in Canada (Poster #89) ...................................... 75
Patricia Hewston (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 75

Using Real-Time Location Systems Data to Identify Clusters of Rest-Activity Rhythms in
People Living with Dementia (Poster #90) ........................................................................ 76
Yasser Karam (Presenter) ................................................................................................................. 76

The Challenges Associated with Recruitment of Participants Living With Dementia for
Smart Tech Research in a Hospital Transitional Unit During COVID (Poster #91) ............... 76
Laura Ault (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 76

Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease in the Preclinical Stage from Life Space Maps (Poster #92) 77
Mackenzie Wallich (Presenter) ........................................................................................................ 77

Social Media use in Dementia Prevention Research: Community and Professional Experts
Talk Ethics (Poster #93) .................................................................................................... 78
Viorica Hrincu (Presenter) ................................................................................................................ 78

Effectiveness of a Game-based Cognitive Intervention on Older Adults’ Cognition and
Health-related Outcomes (Poster #94) ............................................................................. 79
Adriana Ríos Rincón (Presenter) ...................................................................................................... 79

AGE-WELL SAM3 Collaborative Projects with NRC Aging-in-Place Program (Poster #95) ... 79
Rafik Goubran (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 79

The Future of AgeTech: Future Directions in Technology to Support the Health,
Independence and Wellbeing of Older Adults (Poster #96) .............................................. 80

Andrew Sixsmith (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 80

Social Robots Autonomously Facilitating Dance in Long-term Care (Poster #97) ............... 81
Nan Liang (Presenter) ...................................................................................................................... 81

Medication Adherence Technologies: A Classification Taxonomy Based on Features (Poster#98) ................................................................................................................................. 82
Bincy Baby (Presenter) ..................................................................................................................... 82

Developing an Intervention to Slow Down and/or Prevent the Progression of Frailty(Poster #99) ..................................................................................................................... 83
Patrick McGowan (Presenter) .......................................................................................................... 83

Pilot Implementation of An Assistive Technology (ARMM) in a Long-Term Care Setting(Poster #100) ................................................................................................................... 83
Mirou Jaana (Presenter) .................................................................................................................. 83

New Brunswick’s AgeTech Innovation Environment: An Overview of the Policy Landscape,
Challenges, and Opportunities (Poster #101) ................................................................... 84
Patrick Patterson (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 84

Voice Payment System Authentication: Exploring User Preferences and Accessibility Needs
of Users with Cognitive Disabilities (Poster #102)............................................................. 85
Danika Lévesque (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 85

In-home Seniors’ Activity of Daily Living Monitoring: A Review of the Literature (Poster#103) ............................................................................................................................... 85
Pourya Moghadam (Presenter)........................................................................................................ 85

Validation of ARIA index to assess the quality of mobile apps for patients living withchronic health conditions (Poster #104) ........................................................................... 86
Lili Liu (Presenter) ............................................................................................................................ 86

Activity Classification on Healthy Individual Using Acceleration Data and Machine Learning(Poster #105) ................................................................................................................... 87
Rahim Dhupalia (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 87

An exploratory trial to assess the effects of a music-based digital therapeutic on anxiety
and agitation in people with mild and moderate cognitive impairment (Poster #106) ...... 87
Rhiannon Ueberholz (Presenter) ..................................................................................................... 87

Pose2Gait: Extracting Gait Features from Monocular Video of Individuals with Dementia(Poster #107) ................................................................................................................... 88
Sergey Noritsyn (Presenter) ............................................................................................................. 88

Privacy-Preserving Smart Activity Sensor for Senior Care (Poster #108) ........................... 89
Jie Liang (Presenter) ......................................................................................................................... 89

Understanding Perspectives of Wayfinding Technology Use by People with Disabilities(Poster #109) ................................................................................................................... 89
Thianna Edwards (Presenter) ........................................................................................................... 89

Technology for Supporting People with Dementia in the Workplace: A Scoping Review
Protocol (Poster #110) ..................................................................................................... 90
Arlene Astell (Presenter) .................................................................................................................. 90

Enhancing Quality of Life in Senior Canadians with Frailty: A Human-Centered Study on
Fear of Falling and its Impact on Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Poster #111) ...... 91
Vyjayanthi Janakiraman (Presenter) ................................................................................................ 91

Using digital memory augmentation to improve autobiographical episodic memory andquality of life in older adults with transient epileptic amnesia (Poster #112) .................... 92
Bryan Hong (Presenter).................................................................................................................... 92

Mapping the context of sedentary behaviour (MAPS-B) in older adults who are frail: A
feasibility and longitudinal study (Poster #113)................................................................ 92
Isabel B. Rodrigues (Presenter) ........................................................................................................ 92

Designing a real-time medication intake and adherence dashboard: Features,functionality, and data display to meet the needs of patients, care partners and clinicians(Poster #114) ................................................................................................................... 93
Faisal Ghaffar (Presenter) ................................................................................................................ 93

Creative, slow research with older adults: Techniques to enhance recruitment of diverse
older adults in the MacM3 project (Poster #116) ............................................................. 94
Sachi O’Hoski (Presenter)................................................................................................................. 94

Navigating Ethical Considerations in Real-Time Locating Systems Implementation forPeople Living with Dementia in Residential Care: A Person-Centered Perspective (Poster#118) ............................................................................................................................... 95
Andria Bianchi (Presenter) ............................................................................................................... 95

Continuous Acoustic Monitoring of COPD in the Wild (Poster #120)................................. 96
Sejal Bhalla (Presenter) .................................................................................................................... 96

mHealth apps for Dementia and Alzheimer’s (Poster #122).............................................. 96
Sindy Ramos Rubio (Presenter)........................................................................................................ 96

Testing of a technology readiness tool prior to installing Best Buy Health Canada’s
technology bundles for older adults (Poster #124) ........................................................... 97
Frank Knoefel (Presenter) ................................................................................................................ 97

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Overcoming Apathy Among Community
Dwelling Older Adults in Northern British
Columbia: The Benefits of Engaging in a
Kobo eReader Book Club (Poster #1)
Authors & Affiliations:
Aderonke Agboji (Presenter)1
Shannon Freeman1
1

University of Northern British Columbia

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Objectives: The objective of this study was
to explore the impact of an eBook Club on
older adults' self-reported apathy andwell-being. Methods: A mixed method
approach involved pre- and postintervention surveys and interviews withparticipants. Participants were recruitedfrom three communities in northern BC.
All participants were provided with Kobo
eReaders preloaded with books of interest
and received a tutorial on how to use the
eReader. Each Kobo eReader was also
connected to the public library for easy
access to more books. The eBook club
took place once a week over a period of 4
to 6 weeks. Each session consisted of
maximum of four participants and lasted
for about 45 mins to 1 hour. Results:
Twenty-eight older people participated inthis project with age ranging between 60
and 86 years old. The majority werefemale (n=25). Prior to the start of the
program, ten out of the 28 participants
reported feelings of apathy and by theend of the program, more than half ofthem (6) expressed improvement in their
feelings of apathy. In addition, someparticipants reported that their
participation in the eBook club had
impacted their mood positively, improved
their social relationships with others, andkept them engaged in reading activities

even when unable to attend the weekly
group sessions.
Conclusion: The results showed that
simple intervention such as the eBook
club may improve apathy and contributeto overall well-being of older people livingin the community. Although someparticipants reported that using the Kobo
eReader was challenging initially, they
were able to overcome this challengethrough support and encouragement fromothers in the group. This highlights theimportance of peer support in the
adoption of technology.
Family Caregivers’ Views on Artificial
Intelligence-Enabled Technology for
Older Adult Care: Cross-Sectional Survey(Poster #2)
Authors & Affiliations:
Amanda Yee (Presenter)1
Mark J. Yaffe1
Tibor Schuster1
Sylvie Lambert2
Samira Abbasgholizadeh-Rahimi1,3,4
1

Department of Family Medicine, McGill
University
2
Ingram School of Nursing, McGill
University
3
Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
Jewish General Hospital4
Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence
Institute
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Objective: To understand family
caregivers’(FCGs) intention and factors
predicting their intention to use artificial
intelligence (AI) in older adult care.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Method: A cross-sectional survey wasdeveloped based on the Unified Theory ofTechnology Acceptance and Use ofTechnology. The online survey wasadministered to middle-aged FCGs
residing in the province of Quebec. The
survey included 46 questions – 14
demographic questions and 32 measured
intention to use AI and nine predictor
variables: performance expectancy, effort
expectancy, social influence, facilitating
conditions, technology anxiety, perceived
trust, perceived cost, confidence in thesource of advice for care (healthcare
professional vs AI-enabled technology)
and confidence in healthcare
professionals’ advice for the use of AIenabled technology. Analysis: Descriptive
statistics and random forests employing
regression trees. Results: Of the 201
completed surveys, 199 were eligible andanalyzed. Majority of FCGs were acceptingof AI if it is accessible (62%). The fitted
random forest models explained between
56% to 83% of the variance in theintention to use AI. The random forest
indicated that social influence had thehighest relative importance in influencing
intention. When comparing the full modelto the reduced models, regardless ofwhich variable was removed, the change
in predicted intention score for mostparticipants moved less than 0.12 points
on the four-point item scale, suggestingthat the nine-predictor variables showed
an additive effect in predicting intention.
Conclusion: AI, healthcare, andgovernment stakeholders shouldintervene to address all nine-predictor
variables, notably social influence, to help
facilitate AI adoption among FCGs
providing older adult care.

Validation of a Novel Vision-Based
Technology for Joint Angles Estimation(Poster #3)
Authors & Affiliations:
Ali Barzegar Khanghah (Presenter)1
Atena Roshan Fekr1
1

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Objectives: Traditional rehabilitation
therapies, while effective, often posechallenges for patients such as the needfor frequent travel to clinics, long waitingtimes for appointments, and even a lackof access to specialized services in remoteareas. Tele-rehabilitation (tele-rehab),
could overcome these obstacles. The
success of tele-rehab lies in precise,accurate systems. Thus, our study's
objective is validating and calibrating a
new marker-less tele-rehab system,
benchmarked against the motion capture(MoCap) system. Method We recorded
data from 14 participants performing
upper-limb exercises at 2m, 2.5m, and3.5m from a depth camera, withsimultaneous MoCap recording. We used
Cubemos and Mediapipe to track joints
and estimate angles from our system. We
evaluated ten different regression models,
both linear and non-linear, to calibrate thesystem.
Results: As the distance from the camera
increased, a rise in the error of joint angle
estimation was observed. Therefore, thebest results achieved when the camera
was placed at the distance of 2m from thesubject. Our system's joint angle
estimates strongly correlated (>96%) with
MoCap, with an MAE of less than 10°.
Polynomial Regression was the best

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
calibration method, while Decision Tree
suffered from overfitting. Other linear
regression methods such as Ridge
Regression showed similar performances.
Conclusions: Our study showed theeffectiveness of a marker-less MoCap
system for accurately tracking body joints
and calculating upper-limb joint angles.
The system's accuracy depends on how
far the person is from the camera. The
depth feature helped make the angle
measurements more precise. The
calibration of the system could reduce themeasurement error to less than 4 degrees
when the person was 2 meters away fromthe camera.
Enhancing High Repetition Stroke
Rehabilitation Through a Novel Gamified
System with Vision-Based Pose-Tracking
Algorithms: A Usability Study (Poster #4)
Authors & Affiliations:
Deniz Jafari (Presenter)
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Stroke is a major global health issue,
impacting about 15 million people yearlywith long-term disabilities. Extensive
research emphasizes the importance ofrepetitive, high-intensity training foreffective rehabilitation. Active patientengagement and personalized therapy are
critical for optimizing outcomes. We are
currently in the process of developing agamified exercise platform tailored forpost-stroke rehabilitation. The platform
incorporates a webcam and a vision-basedpose-tracking deep neural network tomonitor exercise performance. Real-time
audio and visual feedback are provided tousers to ensure proper posture during theexercises. To achieve this, a set of
gamified upper limb exercises, alignedwith the independent exercises prescribedby clinicians, has been designed. These
exercises are intended for patients toperform autonomously between their
therapy sessions. The platform offers
detailed instructions to patients andprovides feedback on their performance,
enabling the tracking of progress overtime. To assess the platform's
effectiveness and user engagement, weare planning to conduct a usability study
with both healthy older adults and poststroke patients. The study aims to collectqualitative and quantitative data toevaluate the level of engagement during
rehabilitation exercises. Currently thestudy is in the development phase. In
testing phase, participants from bothgroups will be asked to report on theirlevel of engagement with therehabilitation platform, as well as theirperception of its effectiveness inaddressing their arm rehabilitation needs.
Additionally, feedback will be collected
regarding their willingness to continue
training with the system even after the
study concludes. Our research addresses
challenges in adopting rehab platforms.
We developed a customizable, engaging
exercise system empowering patients toperform high repetition exercises
independently. The platform provides
optimal therapy with performancetracking, promoting patient engagement
and autonomy without constant expert
supervision.
COMPAs: An App to Break Social
Isolation & Promote Person-Centered
Communication Between People Living
With Dementia and Their Caregivers inLong-Term Care Centers (Poster #5)

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Authors & Affiliations:
Barbara Delacourt (Presenter)1
Michele Masson-Trottier
Jade Dubuc
Catherine Dubé
Ana Inés Ansaldo

Results: In caregivers, there was asignificant improvement in personal
achievement at work. Semi-structured
interviews showed an improvement incommunication in the dyad and a more
empathetic approach to caregiving.

1

Discussion: These results indicate that thecommunication triggered by COMPAs
breaks down communication barriers, bycreating positive exchanges throughpersonalized emotionally driven
exchanges, while stimulating empathy andpersonalized interventions. Caregivers see
COMPAs as an ecological tool to addresscommunication barriers, while facilitating
an empathetic caregiving relationship.

Centre de recherche de l'Institut
universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Introduction: People living with dementia(PWD) experience communication deficits
as soon as the early stages of the diseases,
deficits which significantly increase overtime. In the last stages, constantcommunication breakdowns lead to
reduced exchanges with caregivers,
resulting in the isolation of bothcommunication partners. Thesedifficulties have negative impacts on thequality of life of PWD and their caregivers,
who themselves face increasing burden.
While communication difficulties in PWD
are a core issue in care, few interventions
to address this issue have beendeveloped. Aims: The present study
focused on COMPAs, an app designed tosustain communication between PWD andtheir caregivers. COMPAS has been shown
to trigger emotional communication
during the short co-viewing of
personalized audiovisual material.
Method: This was a pre-post intervention
study with COMPAs in 2 long-term carecenters. Seventeen caregivers used
COMPAs in the context of daily routinesover eight weeks with 17 residents. Data
collection included specific questionnaires
and semi-structured interviews tomeasure effects on communication andcaregiver burden. Data analyses combined
quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Exploring Mixed Reality (MR)Applications for Dementia and Mild
Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review (Poster#6)
Authors & Affiliations:
Farnaz Koubasi (Presenter)1
Mathieu Figeys1,2
Yusuf Kola Ahmed1
Shaniff Esmail1
Adriana Ríos Rincón1
1

Department of Occupational Therapy,
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, Collegeof Health Sciences, University of Alberta
2
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta
Health Services
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Background: Mild cognitive impairment(MCI) and dementia among older adults
lead to cognitive decline and reduced
quality of life. Mixed reality (MR) systems
combining virtual and real-world elements
offer promising benefits for theAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
rehabilitation of individuals with cognitive
impairment. However, there is limited
research on their primary objectives andoutcome measures in MCI and dementia
rehabilitation. Purpose: This review,
focusing on MCI and dementia
rehabilitation, explores: (1) The variety
and application of MR systems; (2) Theirtechnological readiness level (TRL); (3)Their primary objectives; and (4) Outcome
variables and measurement tools used in
relevant studies. Methods: A systematic
search in seven databases identifiedstudies examining the MR systems’application in MCI and dementia
rehabilitation. Results: Out of 2415
documents retrieved from the databases,
the review included nine studies. All the
included studies utilized only Augmented
Reality (AR), a subtype of MR, throughscreens, mobile phones, or head-mounted
displays equally. The participants' average
age was 78.49±6.05 years with 49.45%
having Alzheimer's disease. AR systems
were in the developmental phase, (TRL 5 –6). The primary goal of the AR systems
was to improve cognitive functioning anddaily activities. System usability andacceptance were the main outcome
variables. Conclusion: AR systems areusable and accepted in MCI and dementia
rehabilitation. However, the MR system’s
effectiveness in rehabilitation assessment
and treatment is largely unknown. Future
research should focus on applying the MR
systems using experimental researchmethods and in real-world settings.
A Clustering-Based Approach to Evaluate
Older Adults' Safety in Conditionally
Automated Vehicles (Poster #7)
Authors & Affiliations:Gelareh Hajian (Presenter)1,2
Shabnam Haghzare1,2
Jennifer Campos2

Alex Mihailidis1,2
1

University of Toronto
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
This study aims to explore the safety ofolder adults with normal cognition taking
over control of conditionally automatedvehicles (CAVs). We proposed a clusteringbased approach to investigate the safetyof driving behavior under various
conditions and compared it to a
traditional manual-based method. A
group of older adults drove in bothmanual and automated modes in various
scenarios. Two key metrics, takeover
reaction time and takeover quality, were
calculated to assess driving performance.
The clustering method categorized drivers
as safe or risky based on their driving
performance during the takeover phase,
considering factors like reaction time,steering wheel angle changes, lane center
distance, and longitudinal acceleration.
The manual method used threshold values
based on the drivers' manual driving
performance. The study found that theclustering method effectively
differentiated safe and risky drivers,
revealing differences under varying
conditions. Results showed that the safe
driver cluster exhibited shorter reaction
times and more stable driving behavior,demonstrating the ability of this approachto categorize drivers. Although the two
methods agreed in some instances, a
noticeable difference was observed on
curvy roads, suggesting that the clustering
approach could capture more complex
and nuanced patterns of driving behavior
during takeover control. The findings
offer insights into driving safety using theclustering-based approach and have

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
implications for interventions to improvetransition control in CAVs, potentiallybenefiting older adults’ independence andmobility. As a future work, we will
investigate the safety of performing
driving takeovers in CAVs by older adults
with cognitive impairments, compared tohealthy older adults, characterized by the
takeover time and quality.
Self-Supervised Learning for Human
Activity Recognition of the Elderly in
Smart Home (Poster #8)
Authors & Affiliations:
Hui Chen (Presenter)1
Sylvain Giroux1
Charles Gouin-Vallerand1
Kévin Bouchard2
Sébastien Gaboury2
Mélanie Couture3
Nathalie Bier4
1

Université de Sherbrooke
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
3
CIUSSS West-Central Montréal
4
Université de Montréal
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Human activity recognition (HAR) has
provided significant opportunities fortelemonitoring daily activities andimproving the quality of life for elderly
individuals in smart homes. Deep learningmodels have demonstrated competitive
performance in HAR tasks in real-world
environments. However, obtaining large
amounts of annotated sensor data to
extract robust features for deep learningmodels can be costly and time-consuming.
We propose a novel model based on the
self-supervised learning framework,
SimCLR, for daily activity recognition using
ambient sensor data from smart homes toovercome this challenge. This model
consists of two main stages: pre-training
and fine-tuning. During the pre-training
stage, multiple features are generated by
preprocessing raw ambient sensor data
without annotations. Fine-tuning is
performed on the preprocessed limitedlabeled ambient sensor data. The corecomponent of our model is the encoder
module, which includes two convolutional
layers followed by a long short-term
memory (LSTM) layer and one attention
layer. This architecture allows the model
to capture both spatial and temporaldependencies in the sensor data, enabling
the extraction of informative features fordownstream tasks. Extensive experiments
were conducted on three CASAS smart
home datasets (Aruba-1, Aruba-2, andMilan) to evaluate the effectiveness of ourmodel. The results demonstrate thesuperior performance of our model insemi-supervised learning and transfer
learning scenarios, outperforming stateof-the-art approaches. These experiments
also show the high efficiency of selfsupervised learning in extracting valuable
information from unlabeled sensor data,
reducing the reliance on costly annotation
efforts for HAR real-world applications.
Determining What Patients With COPD
Will Accept for Remote Clinical
Monitoring: a Patient Engagement Study(Poster #9)
Authors & Affiliations:
Jeyani Jeyaparan (Presenter)1,2
Maryann Calligan1
Alex Mariakakis3
Andrea Gershon4
Jhiffee Locquiao2
Lara Wyss2
Robert Wu2

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
1

Department of Physiology, University ofToronto2
Internal Medicine, University Health
Network3
Department of Computer Science,
University of Toronto
4
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Background: At-home monitoring of COPD
symptoms may help patients andclinicians recognize deterioration earlyand pursue proactive care to reduce onsetof severe exacerbations and need for
hospitalization. This study aims todetermine which technologies COPD
patients admitted to hospital with anacute exacerbation are willing to use tomonitor their disease post-discharge. It
also describes barriers that must be
addressed to make remote clinicalmonitoring more accessible. Methods:
Eligible participants were identified at
University Health Network with a recent
acute exacerbation of COPD. Information
regarding what patients would want to
see in future COPD programs of care wascollected via surveys in-person or over thephone. Patients were asked to indicate on
a 5-point Likert scale how likely theywould be to participate in various homemonitoring activities. Results: 4 patientswere excluded. Of 26 eligible patients
approached, 11 declined to participate,and 15 completed the survey (n=15).
Home visits by nurses, virtual visits withrespirologists, using an oximeter andinputting values twice daily into an app or
website, and wearing a smartwatch to
track certain vitals and activity signs were
the highest-rated remote monitoring
features with median values of 5 (Very
Likely). Passive monitoring with infrared
sensors to detect falls as well as passive
audio recording to detect coughs wererated lower with median values of 1 and 2(Very Unlikely and Unlikely), respectively.
Conclusion: Overall, patients are willing to
use most forms of remote clinicalmonitoring but have concerns with
passive audio and activity monitoring
features. It is unclear if the highproportion of eligible patients declining
participation is due to lack of interest in
remote monitoring or participation in
research studies.
Five Ways to Enable Persons Living With
Dementia to Remain at Home or Existing
Level of Care in Canada (Poster #10)
Authors & Affiliations:
Isaac Adedeji (Presenter)1
Jenna Roddick2
Patrick Patterson2
Norma Chinho2
Daniel Smiley2
1

Simon Fraser University
AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub:Advancing Policies and Practices inTechnology and Aging (APPTA)
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Demand for home-based care for people
living with dementia (PLWD) exceeds
supply in Canada. Post-COVID-19, around
600,000 older adult Canadians withdementia and their caregivers experiencedisproportionate social, physical, andmental distress in trying to continue
residing at home. The study analyzed how
the government can support persons withdementia to age in place using resources
and technologies. It employed amultimethod knowledge synthesis that
integrated data from a consultative
session with government stakeholders,AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookand 114 policy reports, project profiles,
and evaluation reports from acrossCanada. Currently, few Canadianjurisdictions have a post-COVID-19
dementia strategy. Also, across all levelsof care, PLWD and caregivers still
experience stigma, ageist biases, limited
rural resources, and a lack of electronic
health records. These worsen the burdenof keeping PLWD in the community.
However, existing community resources
include those provided through the Public
Health Agency of Canada's Dementia
Strategic Fund, National AwarenessCampaign, and Dementia Community
Investment. Also, communitypartnerships through the Alzheimer's
Disease Society of Canada's First Link
program, the Canadian Institute of Health,
AGE-WELL, and Baycrest have shown
success. Successful approaches foundinclude community-based dementia careprogramming (DCP), housing policies,
research partnerships for technologicaladvancements, electronic health records,
and protective financial policies. Fivepolicy recommendations include a rapid
replication of the multidisciplinary DCPs
and the development of a housing
philosophy for PLWD. Also, increased
government participation in strengthening
collaborations for supportive
technologies, including monitoring andsecurity systems for PLWD, is necessary.
Finally, electronic health records andclearly defined compensatory financial
systems are vital.
Relationship Between Simulated Driving
and Subjective Driving Ability (Poster#11)
Authors & Affiliations:
Katherine Bak (Presenter)1Frank A. Russo2
M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller

Jennifer L. Campos1
1

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2
Toronto Metropolitan University
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Driving collisions are a top cause of
accidental death and older adults areoverrepresented. Driving is especiallychallenging during cognitively demanding
conditions, such as driving while listening
to a passenger (dual-tasking). Driving andlistening may each compete for sharedcognitive resources, resulting in poorer
performance on one or both tasks. Dualtasking may be particularly challenging for
older adults due to age-related changes tosensory and cognitive abilities. To
accommodate, older adults often selfregulate their driving habits as they
become aware of declines in abilities;
however, they may not always be awareof changes to driving performance. The
objective of this study is to examine
whether subjective and objective dualtask driving abilities are consistent andwhether dual-task driving performance isassociated with individual factors (e.g.,visual attention - Useful Field of View
(UFOV)). Driving performance wasmeasured during a driving-while-listening
task (Connected Speech Test) in younger(aged 21-35 years) and older (aged 65+
years) adults using a high-fidelity driving
simulator. Participants were asked to selfreport “Yes/No” on their ability to carryon a conversation with another person
while driving. Results found that all
participants subjectively reported theability to dual-task and there were no
significant differences in objectively
measured dual-task costs to driving
performance between older and younger
adults. Results also showed that older

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
adults performed more poorly on the
UFOV compared to younger adults, but
UFOV performance was not significantly
correlated with driving performance.
Findings demonstrate that, regardless ofage, participants may not subjectively
acknowledge potential objective dual-task
costs.
Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Remote
Monitoring (Poster #12)
Authors & Affiliations:
Jenan Bouakkar (Presenter)1
Atena Roshan Fekr1,2
1

The KITE Research Institute, Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute -University Health
Network2
Institute of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Objective: With many seniors finding
comfort and well-being in remaining intheir own homes, remote monitoring
systems have emerged as a promising
innovation to facilitate self-managementof chronic conditions, remote medicalcare, and improved safety. However, toenhance the effectiveness and adoptionof these systems in seniors' private
homes, it is essential to identify andaddress the current gaps and challenges inthe technology. Through a comprehensive
review of literature, this study aims togain a deeper understanding of theattitudes, preferences, and concerns ofseniors, as well as other stakeholders,
towards remote monitoring systems.
Methods: A search strategy conductedacross Google Scholar and Scopus wasdeveloped to identify relevant literaturethat investigates qualitative studies that
explored the perspectives of stakeholders
including seniors, caregivers, andhealthcare professionals on remotemonitoring.
Results: We identified a total of 73 papers
published between 2003 and 2023 that
met the inclusion criteria. Among these,include various stakeholders, with 49
involving seniors, 8 involving caregivers,
and 15 involving healthcare professionals
and/or policymakers as the main
population.
Conclusion: Older adults’ main areas ofconcern include privacy, reliability, ease ofuse, autonomy, safety and affordability.
Additionally, caregivers have shed light on
the pros and cons of reducing workload
and replacement of care. Clinicians andhealthcare professionals’ perspectives
investigated how personalization of
products, supporting patient autonomy
and safety is imperative for adapting tothis growing preference for aging in place.
Thus, these perspectives can implement
optimization of smart home design andcater to the needs of older adults.
Advancing Stroke Rehabilitation in an
Aging Population: Unveiling the Potentialof Mixed Reality Technologies (Poster#13)
Authors & Affiliations:Mathieu Figeys (Presenter)1,2
Farnaz Koubasi 1
Doyeon Hwang 1
Allison Hunder 1
Andrew Chan 2
Antonio Miguel-Cruz 1,2Adriana Rios Rincon 1
1
2

University of Alberta
Alberta Health Services

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Background: Stroke affects an individual
every ten minutes in Canada, a ratefurther impacted by an aging population.
Stroke often results in physical, cognitive,
and mental impairments, highlighting theimportance of effective rehabilitation
strategies. Mixed Reality (MR)technologies show promise for enhancing
stroke rehabilitation outcomes, however,their application faces challenges such as
methodological inconsistencies, varied
clinical populations, and overstatedefficacy claims. Objectives: 1) Review MR
stroke rehabilitation among older adults,
assessing ageing, clinical, andtechnological aspects. 2) Spotlight theongoing MR research at the Glenrose
Rehabilitation Hospital (Edmonton,
Canada). Methods: A systematic review,adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, wasconducted across seven databases. Two
independent reviewers analyzed the data,
focusing on clinical objectives andfeatures, MR systems, levels of evidence,and technology readiness. 2) The poster
will feature QR codes linking to videos
showcasing ongoing research anddevelopment of MR-delivered stroke
rehabilitation at the Glenrose Hospital.
Results: Twenty-six studies met inclusion
criteria (n = 453; mean age: 60 ± 5.34
years). MR applications primarily targeted
upper limb motor rehabilitation, with an
overall low level of evidence and a mediantechnology readiness level of 6
(prototypes tested in relevant
environments). Conclusion: While theexisting variability and technologicalchallenges in the studies cannot beignored, the promising results underscorethe importance of continual research andinnovation in MR systems, with Glenrose

Rehabilitation Hospital serving as one
such research hub.
Reflection on Co-researching Experienceswith Patient and Family Partners in
Implementing Telepresence Robots inLong-term Care (Poster #14)
Authors & Affiliations:
Joey Wong (Presenter)
Jim Mann
Mario Gregorio
Lynn Jackson
Lily Wong
Annette Berndt
Ruth Khong
Lily Haopu Ren
Karen Lok Yi Wong
Jason Fu
Grace Hu
Joelle Rivera
Ali Hussein
Lillian HungUBC IDEALab, School of Nursing,
University of British Columbia
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Objective: Although health researchemphasizes the voices of people withlived experiences, there is a lack of reports
showing how researchers involve patientand family partners in their research
process effectively. The gap is especially
noticeable in studies focused ontechnology for older adults.
Method: The study aims to explore thegap by addressing the research questions:
1) What were the challenges in thepatient and family partners engagement
processes? 2) How did the research teamovercome these challenges? We collected
data from the engagement evaluation

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
reports, monthly meeting minutes, andobservations of team members’interactions in the meeting recordings.
Our team, including our patient partner
co-lead, a researcher, and trainees, had
Zoom meetings to reflect on the data
every six months and performed teamthematic analysis.
Results: There are four challenges: ‘How
can the research team improve?’, ‘How
can I (patient partner) help?’, ‘First time in
the Zoom Era’ and ‘I (patient partner) am
not interested in manuscript writing.’ The
strategies adopted during the research
process are: ‘Using tools for regular
evaluations of engagement,’ ‘Avoid
assumptions of team members’ interests
and abilities,’ ‘Clear tasks descriptions andprogress sharing,’ ‘Respectful partnershipand co-creation of engagement
experiences,’ and ‘Intergenerational
technical support and orientation to Zoom
and robots.’
Conclusions: The meaningful engagementof people with lived experiences canencourage these individuals to be actively
involved and contribute their valuable
experiences to different studies. Ongoingteam evaluation and improvements
support sustainability and long-term
partnerships with people with lived
experiences in technology-related
research.
Digital Health Interventions for Chronic
Disease Management Among Older
Adults in Developed Countries: A Scoping
Review (Poster #15)
Authors & Affiliations:
Mir Nabila Ashraf (Presenter)1
Natasha L. Gallant1
Cara Bradley

1

University of Regina

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Background: Globally, around eighty
percent of older adults aged 65 years andmore at least have one, and sixty-eightpercent have two or more chronic
conditions. These older adults require
greater accessible health care services. In
this scoping review, we identify available
evidence regarding digital healthinterventions to improve chronic disease
management for older adults indeveloped countries. Methods: A Scoping
review was conducted using Medline, JBI
EBP Database, PsycINFO and Scopus. We
included peer-reviewed journal articles
describing original studies. Studies were
eligible if they included (a) older adults(i.e., at least 65 years) (b) living with atleast one chronic disease (e.g., cancer,
cardiovascular disease, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes)and (c) residing in at least one developed
country (e.g., Australia, Canada).
Moreover, studies needed to present
evidence regarding digital healthinterventions (i.e., emails, text messages,
voice messages, telephone calls, etc.) for
chronic disease management. Results: Our
search strategy resulted in a total of 9990
records. After screening at the title andabstract level, we identified a total 170 ofrecords that were included following afull-text review. Most of the included
studies highlighted the feasibility of using
digital health intervention for chronic
disease management among older adults,
but limitations in their use were also
discussed. These limitations need to beconsidered when designing digital healthinterventions for older adults living withchronic diseases. Conclusions: Moreevidence-based research is needed tobetter understand the feasibility andAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
limitations associated with the use ofdigital health interventions for thispopulation.
Observations and Testing of the Tochtech
Sleepsense Bed Sensor in a Retirement
Community and Lab Setting (Poster #16)
Authors & Affiliations:
Laura Ault (Presenter)1
Bruce Wallace2
Shahir MikhailFrank Knoefel1
Rafik Goubran2
Neil Thomas1
Jessica Yang
1
2

Bruyere Research InstituteCarleton University

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Background: Retirement community
nursing staff are tasked with ensuring thesafety of their residents. During the night,
this presents a challenge as many
dementia care residents experience
episodes of wandering, while nightstaffing is typically reduced. The Tochtech
Sleepsense device is an under-the-bed
sensor, used to monitor residents andalert staff when s/he gets out of bed.
While not part of this project, theSleepsense sensor also offers additionalfeatures like real time heart and breathing
rate, sleep quality data and pressure
injury care management.
Method: Sleepsense was tested in theCarleton University SAM3 lab, in which
bed exit scenarios were run with various
weights on both hospital and residential
beds to assess the sensor performance.
Sleepsense was then tested in aretirement community with 15 residents.

The night staff carried a phone which
received alerts when a resident got out of
bed.
Results: Lab testing found the sensor
performance was accurate across a range
of weights and various exit scenarios. It
was also noted that, while there is a large
weight difference between the hospitaland residential beds, the sensor
performance was similar. Over 2 weeks ofclinical testing, staff received 61 alerts. In
48 of these alerts, the residents were
found out of bed by staff. For 13, out of
bed notifications, the resident was in bed
when observed by staff. A challenge of
implementing technology in this caresetting was that some residents removed
the sensor.
Discussion/Conclusion: In over ¾ of cases,
the alarm correctly identified that theresident was out of bed. This systemfacilitated the timely attendance toresidents that are at risk of wandering or
falling, possibly reducing the risk ofmorbidity. Additionally, staff efficiency
could be improved as the need for
frequent room checks is reduced.
Dual-Task Listening-While-Balancing
Performance in Older Adults with
Normal-Hearing and Hearing Aid Users(Poster #17)
Authors & Affiliations:
Niroshica Mohanathas (Presenter)1,2
Lianna Montanari
Grace Gabriel2
Rachel Downey
Karen Z. H. Li3
Jennifer L. Campos1
1

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2
University of Toronto

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
3

Concordia University

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Age-related hearing loss is a significant,but underacknowledged risk factor for
falls. While there are several hypothesizedmechanisms, one is that hearing loss
increases “cognitive load” because
listening effort is increased. This listening
load could take important cognitive
resources away from behaviours used tosupport safe mobility (e.g., listeningwhile-balancing simultaneously). As such,
reducing listening load through hearing
aids could improve balance-related task
performance. Therefore, we used virtual
reality to simulate realistic “listeningwhile-balancing” conditions in which
listening effort and balance weresystematically challenged in 22 older
adults with normal hearing and 22 older
adults with hearing loss (while aided andunaided). Participants stood on aforceplate – which measured their
postural sway – while facing a virtualstreet crossing where they identified digits
spoken by multiple talkers (no digits, 2
digits, and 4 digits to manipulate listeningload). Participants completed this taskwith their eyes open and eyes closed andwhile standing on firm and compliant
surfaces to manipulate postural load.
Postural stability was measured using
posturography and listening performance
was measured through digit identification
accuracy. We found that the hearing loss
group had lower listening accuracy andmore dual-task costs (i.e., larger postural
sway under harder listening conditions
specifically when unaided compared to
aided) compared to the normal hearing
group. Taken together, this study may
help provide support for whether hearing
aid use is a recommended strategy forsupporting balance in older adults withhearing loss and falls-risk mitigation
through targeted interventions.
Co-creating Multisensory/Multimodal
Financial Service Virtual Agents With
Older Adults (Poster #19)
Authors & Affiliations:
Rezvan Boostani (Presenter)1
Cosmin Munteanu212

University of Toronto
University of Waterloo

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Conversational virtual agents (chatbots or
intelligent avatars) can support older
adults in independently accessing theservices they need in their daily lives, suchas financial services. While during therecent pandemic, financial institutions
were relying on virtual agents forcustomer support, existing virtual agentsare not inclusive of older adults' needs.
Overall, there are only a few examples ofage-friendly virtual assistants that aredeveloped in the healthcare domain. For
instance, while most virtual agents focus
on the visual or text representation of theinformation, delivering the services in asingle sensory format can exclude someolder adults since among thesedemographics, sensory impairments are
more common than in other age groups.
While there are bodies of research acrossdifferent domains, including inclusive
design, social aspects of ageing, andessential service design, there are still
gaps in age-friendly actionable guides andsolutions. There are knowledge gaps on
ways to address barriers to older adults’participation. One avenue is theestablishment of age-friendly digital
service design frameworks. This project,

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
through collaboration with older adults,
aims to discover ways to translate theneeds in interaction with conversational
virtual agents into practical solutions that
also meaningfully incorporate older
adults’ input into such knowledgetranslation. We are considering codesigning an interactive experience that
illustrates older adults' experiences wheninteracting with financial customer
support virtual agents. The main outcomeof the project will be a design framework
for age-friendly financial virtual agents
such as customer support chatbots, roboadvisors, and other forms of
conversational virtual user interfaces. The
framework will include a set of guiding
principles, actionable steps, action plans,and specific examples.
Testing Tom: Creating an Accessible User
Testing Experience (Poster #20)
Authors & Affiliations:
Munazza Tahir (Presenter)
Fatou Bah
Danika LévesqueVirginie Cobigo
University of Ottawa
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Abstract: There is limited research
exploring cognitive accessibility barriers invoice recognition systems, particularly
those used for banking. Traditional user
testing methods for technology often
present accessibility challenges and may
not equipped for persons with cognitive
disabilities including older adults livingwith dementia due to a lack of training
and information on inclusive methods. In
the current project, we used an iterative
user testing method for a voice payment

system prototype, with testing materials
adapted for cognitive accessibility. A
comprehensive testing guide wasdeveloped in accessible language tocollect data on user experience, including
task completion and adapted learnability
and workload scales. We recruited 30
Accessibility Advisors with cognitive
disabilities for testing. Two rounds ofprototype testing were completed, with
rapid implementation of feedback to
improve the prototype prior to the second
round of testing. In a third meeting witheach Advisor, a semi-structured interview
was conducted to gather detailed
qualitative information on the usability ofthe prototype and cognitive accessibility
challenges experienced and anticipated byusers. Findings include the diversity ofAdvisors who participated in the project
due to accessibility adaptations andidentification of additional accessibility
challenges. A discussion of lessons learned
and recommendations for improved
cognitive accessibility in R&D projects areoffered.
Enhancing Dementia Care in Rural
Communities: Insights from AgeTech
Implementation in Northern British
Columbia (Poster #21)
Authors & Affiliations:
Sarah Sousa (Presenter)1,2
S Freeman2,3
D Banner3
K Skinner11

University of Waterloo
Centre for Technology Adoption forAging in the North
3
University of Northern British Columbia2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Objective: This study aimed to investigate
the implementation of aging technologies(AgeTech) in a newly establisheddementia care facility within a rural andnorthern community in British Columbia,
Canada. The AgeTech solutions included ahydroponic gardening wall, circadianlighting, and a virtual biking program, witha focus on improving the wellbeing andquality of life for clients living withdementia.
Methods: A process evaluation was
conducted to assess the AgeTech
implementation prior to client
engagement with the AgeTech. The
evaluation utilized the Theoretical
Domains Framework (TDF) to explore
contextual barriers and facilitators
influencing the adoption of AgeTech. Oneon-one, semi-structured interviews wereconducted with key stakeholders,
including facility staff, health systems
leaders, representatives from the AgeTech
companies, and implementation leads.
Results: The interviews, guided by the
TDF, revealed key factors shaping theimplementation of AgeTech solutions.
Barriers included the challenges
associated with the environmental
context and resources in the rural andnorthern setting, concerns about thecomplexity of dementia symptoms andhow the technology may impact clientwell-being, and beliefs regarding
capabilities in technology use among older
adults. Facilitators, such as establishingcollaborative partnerships with AgeTech
companies, fostering strong client
motivation, and creating educational
resources to support AgeTech
understanding, and utilization wereidentified. Conclusions: The study's
findings offer valuable insights that can
inform planning and policy decisions for
AgeTech implementation initiatives inrural settings. The results provide
guidance for continuous innovation andeffective AgeTech implementation, while
underscoring the significance ofcollaboration between various
stakeholders and community engagement
to promote the successful integration of
AgeTech in dementia care.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Variability in
Device and Content Preferences of
Persons Living With Dementia and Their
Family Carers (Poster #22)
Authors & Affiliations:
Raheleh Saryazdi (Presenter)1
Joanne Nuque1
Sumayah Herzi
Lou-Anne Carsault
Di Qi
Lora Appel2
Jennifer L. Campos1
1

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
University Health Network
2
York University
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Virtual reality (VR) and tablet-based
technologies are increasingly being used
for eliciting reminiscence and improving
well-being in people living with dementia(PLwD). However, little is known about
how these technologies facilitatecommunication between PLwD and theircarers, which was the aim of our
VRx@Home study. Twelve families
participated by watching 360-degree
videos for two weeks on VR (with a paired
tablet), and two weeks on Tablet-only.
Video themes included animals, travel,
sports, and entertainment. Participants
reported video preferences in weekly
sessions after they watched fourAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
preselected videos, and device and theme
preferences in the final interview. Both
PLwD and carers preferred entertainment
videos followed by animals in weekly
sessions. However, overall theme
preference in the final interview variedwith an equal number of PLwD choosing
animals as their most and least favourite
theme. Carers preferred travel videos, but
their preferences also varied. We
observed that the same videos evoke
either positive or negative emotions
across participants. For example, one
PLwD loved our cat video, one PLwD
disliked cats, and one carer felt bad about
the cats staying in a facility. Similarly,
whereas many liked travel videos, there
was also a mention of feeling regret by
one carer. Further, both VR and Tabletonly conditions elicited conversations;however, carers preferred VR while PLwD
were split on their VR and Tablet-only
preferences. Together, these results
reveal that preferences for device andcontent vary greatly in this population andthus providing more options is importantto allow for long-term adoption andkeeping families engaged.
Engaging Young Dementia Caregivers in
Co-Design to Improve Social Connection(Poster #23)
Authors & Affiliations:Tyler Redublo (Presenter)
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Background: Young dementia caregivers(YDCs) are individuals under the age of 25
years who provide unpaid, significant care
to someone living with dementia. Our
project builds on previous research that

explored how YDCs experience social
connection, defined as “how people relate
to and connect with each other”. It was
found that YDCs experience uniquebarriers, facilitators, and caregivingrelated mediators to social connection.
Objectives: In the current project, ourobjectives were to: 1. Engage YDCs in codesign and acquire their feedback andinsights on how to improve social
connection. 2.Ideate tools or resources toimprove social connection for YDCs in
Ontario.
Methods: Using the Toronto Translational
Framework (TTF) as a guiding
methodology, our team aimed to engage
YDCs in the process of co-design; to frame
and understand the challenges of social
connection and empower them toconceptualize potential solutions. 7
participants were invited to an online, codesign workshop in which they
contributed their feedback, insights, andlived experiences into creative
brainstorming and ideation activities toimprove social connection. Workshop
activities were facilitated via the online
whiteboard platform tool Miro and werestructured based on the three steps of codesign established by (Bird et al., 2021) intheir framework for healthcare
innovation.
Results: Participants identified 17 uniquedesign requirements of an effective
intervention to improve social connection,
as well as ideated 23 specificmanifestations of tools and resources thatcan be developed for this population.
Conclusions: YDCs are capable ofeffectively and meaningfully engaging in
the processes of co-design, and generative
design thinking. This hidden population
brings unique perspectives, as well as
creative ideas, to improve social

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
connection. Amplifying their voices
through meaningful engagement can leadto innovative solutions for caregivers, thus
leading to better care and quality of life
for those affected by dementia.
Understanding Issues of Supporting
Elderly Parents Aging in Place: A TopicGuided Thematic Analysis of Two Reddit
Communities (Poster #24)
Authors & Affiliations:
Vanessa Duong
Leila Homaeian (Presenter)
Keiko Katsuragawa
James R. Wallace
University of Waterloo
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Pseudonymous online communities, e.g.,
those on Reddit, provide an outlet forpeople to discuss sensitive or stigmatizedissues (e.g., [1, 2]). Indeed, prior researchshows that poor communication andinformal support with one’s family areamong foundational barriers to effective
aging in place. In this work, we therefore
study content posted by adult children ofolder adults on Reddit to understand theissues they face in supporting theirparents who are aging in place. We
focused our analysis on two subreddits:r/AgingParents and r/CaregiverSupport.
These subreddits are a place for adultchildren (and sometimes grandchildren
and other close relatives) of older adults
to seek advice and support, as well asshare their experience and knowledge
with peers about helping parents aging inplace. We performed a topic-guided
thematic analysis using the Computational
Analysis Toolkit [3]. Our findings reveal
several challenges faced by the family of

aging adults: coordinating support
provided by siblings, dealing withexpectations of regular visits and calls,
managing care for older parents as well as
one’s own family, and loneliness and needfor hobbies and social connections amongolder adults. These challenges in turnsuggest areas suitable for technologicalinterventions that can support
communication and empathy between
older adults and their children, e.g., an
integrated application to coordinate
caregiving tasks, allow grandparents to
help by connecting with grandchildren,
give older adults renewed purposes
through local resources and social
connections, and connecting adultchildren to a community of support.
References:[1] Ammari, T., Schoenebeck, S., &Romero, D. M. (2018, April).
Pseudonymous Parents: Comparing
Parenting Roles and Identities on theMommit and Daddit Subreddits. In
Proceedings of the 2018 CHI conferenceon human factors in computing systems(pp. 1-13).
[2] Gauthier, R. P., Costello, M. J., &Wallace, J. R. (2022, April). “I Will Not
Drink With You Today”: A Topic-Guided
Thematic Analysis of Addiction Recovery
on Reddit. In Proceedings of the 2022 CHI
Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems (pp. 1-17).
[3] Gauthier, R. P., & Wallace, J. R. (2022).
The Computational Thematic Analysis
Toolkit. Proceedings of the ACM on
Human-Computer Interaction, 6(GROUP),
1-15.
Use of GuardIO, a Health Canada-licensed
Mobile Application, and Machine
Learning to Describe Mobility Patterns of

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Persons Living With Dementia (Poster#25)
Authors & Affiliations:
Christine Daum (Presenter)1,2
Tola, Y. 1
Ahmed, R. 1
Beleno, R. 3
Miguel Cruz, A. 1,2,4
Liu, L. 1
1

University of Waterloo
University of Alberta
3
Independent Dementia Advocate andConsultant
4
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospitaland challenges, and barriers associatedwith using GuardIO. Significance This
project provides insight into the use ofmobile apps to enable persons withdementia and their care partners toreceive timely care and develop risk
mitigation strategies. Conclusion Usage
behaviors and mobility patterns ofparticipants with dementia and their carepartners can inform decisions about
personalized care and support services.

2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
The rising prevalence of dementia in
Canada calls for strategies like GuardIO
mobile app to address risks of getting lostand going missing while supporting thehealth and wellbeing of persons aging inplace. The goal of this project is to
examine the acceptance and usability ofGuardIO - Family Care, mobile application,and the mobility patterns of participants
with dementia. Method Using a mixedmethod pre- and post-test design, thisstudy uses 40 dyads of persons living withdementia and their care partners who
have access to a smartphone and theinternet. Thirty percent of the participants
will be from one Indigenous community.
The participants will assess theacceptance and usability of GuardIO using
a questionnaire based on the Unified
Theory of Acceptance and Use ofTechnology; this will be analyzed using apartial least square regression model.
Machine learning-driven analytics
describes the mobility patterns ofparticipants with dementia. A focus group
discussion with 20 dyads will help us
understand user experiences, satisfaction

TRILL – Continuing Creative Connectivity
in Care Homes – and Beyond (Poster #26)
Authors & Affiliations:
Richard Barham (Presenter)
Université Laval
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
A 2019 research project (Creech/LiuRosenbaum) showed that collaborative
music-making with older adults
experiencing cognitive and physicallimitations can be achieved with digitalassistive technology. Using the motionsensitive Soundbeam System and Apple
iPads running touch-sensitive applications,this project demonstrated that suchdevices can enable seniors to collaborate
and improvise musically, creating theirown melodies through hand gestures andtouch. When COVID abruptly put an end
to this project, a solution was urgently
sought that could allow these activities tocontinue by marrying the same musicmaking technology to extreme portability
and video conferencing, thus allowing
facilitators to continue communicating
and collaborating with seniors insupervised care during a lockdown.
Lockdowns are not only pandemicrelated. Common outbreaks of influenza

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookand gastroenteritis can result in entire
floors quarantined and visits thus
restricted. The TRILL system, however,currently in use at a care home in Quebec
City, can be wheeled onto any floor andset up and operated by a single facilitator
while communicating virtually withresearchers as well as family and friendsof care home residents. It has alreadybeen tested under quarantine conditions.
This poster presentation will succinctly
outline the PhD process, the development
and impact of the TRILL prototype now inuse, and the commercial and social
potential of digital assistive music-making
technology in supervised care,
independent living, and aging-in-placeenvironments.
Rural Older Patient Experiences of
Health-seeking in Low- and MiddleIncome Countries (LMICs): a Systematic
Review and Thematic Synthesis of
Qualitative Studies (Poster #27)
Authors & Affiliations:Ziyue Wang (Presenter)1
Can Su2
Yihang Zhang2
Xiang Zou4
Mobolanle Balogun5
Howard Bergman1
Xiaoyun Liu3
Nadia Sourial6
Xiaochen Ma3*
Isabelle Vedel1*
1

Department of Family Medicine, Facultyof Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill
University
2
School of Public Health, Peking University
3
China Centre for Health Development
Studies, Peking University
4
Department of Medical Humanities,
Southeast University

5

Department of Community Health andPrimary Care, College of Medicine
6
Department of Health Management,
Evaluation and Policy, École de Santé
Publique (School of Public Health),
Université de Montréal
Correspondence:
Xiaochen Ma
Isabelle Vedel
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm-3:00pm ET
Background: The global aged population
are predicted to reach 2.1 billion by 2050,
and about 30% of them will live in rural
areas of low- and middle-income
countries (LMICs). However, there has
been no synthesis of qualitative evidence
on their experiences and perceptions ofhealth-seeking. This review aimed tosynthesize the qualitative literature on
older patients’ experiences of healthseeking in rural LMICs as well as explore
the factors that influence theirexperiences. METHODS The review
protocol was registered at PROSPERO (ID:CRD42022358813). We searched Embase,
MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL for
studies published from January 1st, 2002
to July 12th, 2022. A thematic synthesis
approach was used to analyse findings.
Results: A total of 19 studies involving 484
participants were included. We identified
four primary analytic themes: (1)Individual: depicting the inner world ofrural older patients, (2) Interpersonal:
navigating the rural social network, (3)organizational: navigating the rural healthcare systems and (4) Community &Macrosystems: economic, society, andpublic policy in rural areas. Considering
the weak formal institutions of healthcare
in rural LMICs, the older villagers
creatively used informal institutions such

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
as alternative health care and personalconnections to navigate their healthseeking journey.
Conclusion: There is strong evidence thatrural older patients in LMICs haveexperienced unique and multi-levelbarriers to seeking care. Public healthstrategies to improve elderly care in LMICs
require a deeper understanding of thelocal preferences and values, as well as
the multi-dimensional socioculturaldisadvantaged conditions that rural older
patients are facing.
Self-generated Motor Activity at
Encoding Benefits Route Memory (Poster#28)
Authors & Affiliations:
Yadurshana Sivashankar (Presenter)¹
Hélène Sauzéon²
Myra. A. Fernandes¹
1

University of Waterloo, Faculty of Arts,
Department of Psychology
2
Flowers Team; INRIA, BPH Bordeaux
Population Health, University of Bordeaux
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Navigational devices limit the need for
decision-making. We examined whether
visual navigational guidance during initial
exploration of a city hindered memory forroutes travelled. In Experiment 1,
participants (n = 50) explored 12 cities invirtual reality (VR) for 40s each, with thegoal of finding a star. Navigation strategy
was manipulated within-subjects,
randomly, and required either actively
self-initiating decision-making about theroute of travel or following a visually
guided route, both with volitional control
of movements using VR paddles, or

passively viewing a pre-selected route.
Participants later re-entered each city andwere asked to “re-trace” the exact route
they had traveled. There was an effect ofNavigation Strategy on route memory,
such that self-directed and visually guided
conditions similarly benefited
performance significantly more thanpassive viewing (η²p = 0.10). In
Experiment 2 (n = 54) we implemented
the same procedure using Desktop VR,with navigation via keyboard buttonpress, rather than arm and body
movement in Immersive VR. We found noeffect of Navigation strategy (η²p = 0.01).
Together, results suggest motoric
involvement, especially involving the
integration of head, body, and arm
movement during encoding, more so thandecision-making, impacts route memory.
Protective Capacity of Head Gear
Designed to Protect Older Adults Under
Fall Conditions (Poster #29)
Authors & Affiliations:Alexandra Hughes (Presenter)1
Karen Taylor
Jarett Cutler1
Clara Karton1
Andrew Post
Nataliya Shishov2
Karam Elabd2
Steve Robinovitch2
T Blaine Hoshizaki1
1
2

University of Ottawa
Simon Fraser University

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Falls account for approximately 80% of
traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in adults
above the age of sixty-five. Headprotection is available, however, with no

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
performance standards or certification
testing requirements, the protective
competency of head gear for older adults
is unknown. This study evaluated theprotective capacity of head gear designed
to protect older adults against fall related
TBI. Three head gear products (HG1, HG2,
HG3) were chosen for comparison against
an ice hockey, bike and prototype helmet
containing rotational technology. A Hybrid
III headform with unbiased neckform andmonorail drop system was used tosimulate all fall events at three locations(front, side, rear) and two velocities(3.5m/s, 5.0m/s) with both flat MEP andangled steel anvil. One-way ANOVAs
comparing peak linear acceleration (LA)and rotational acceleration (RA) for each
impact condition showed a significant
difference (p<0.05) among head gear
under all fall conditions, excluding LA froma 5.0m/s side impact onto the flat anvil.
Under flat anvil conditions, HG2
consistently outperformed HG1 and HG3.
Similar results were found for the
prototype, excluding RA from the front
impact. Under angled impact conditions,
HG1 most often outperformed HG2 andHG3, with the hockey, bike and prototype
helmet outperforming all three HG. The
prototype produced similar or lower LA
and RA in comparison to hockey and bikehelmets. Using sporting equipment testing
standards and similar helmet designs
could be useful as a guide in creating atest standard and better protection for
older adults to decrease the occurrence offall related TBI.

Kara K. Patterson1
Andrea Iaboni1,2Vida Adeli2
Babak Taati2
1

Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Facultyof Medicine, University of Toronto
2
KITE – Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Objective: The role of AI-based falls
prediction in clinical practice remains
unclear. It is possible AI-falls risk
predictive algorithms can facilitate earlyintervention and prevent falls in people
with dementia, however, thesetechnologies can also negatively influencea clinician’s judgment and patient
outcomes. My research will evaluate therole of an AI-falls risk predictive algorithm
in a clinician’s falls risk assessment oflong-term residents with dementia.

Evaluating the Role of AI-falls Risk
Predictive Algorithms in a
Physiotherapist’s Falls Risk Assessment(Poster #30)

Methods: 55 physiotherapists acrossCanada will participate in a virtual falls risk
assessment experiment. Physiotherapists
will predict the chance of long-term
residents falling within four weeks on acontinuous scale (0-100%) after watching
residents’ gait videos and reviewing theirclinical information. Physiotherapists willthen review the output of the AI-falls risk
predictive algorithm for residents and will
have the opportunity to revise their falls
risk predictions based on this new
information. We will compare theaccuracy of falls risk predictions from theAI-algorithm to that of a physiotherapist
and assess the impact of the AI-algorithm
on the physiotherapist falls risk
prediction.

Authors & Affiliations:
Yashoda Sharma (Presenter)1

Results: We hypothesize that the AI-falls
risk predictive algorithm will be more

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
accurate than the physiotherapist falls risk
prediction, and that physiotherapist’s will
be more accurate in their prediction whenusing the algorithm output in theirdecision-making.
Conclusions: We need to evaluate the roleof AI in physiotherapist decision-making
before translating it into practice because
AI has the potential to directly impact how
physiotherapists assess patient risk andplan treatments. Understanding how
clinicians and AI systems interact is an
important step towards its' safe
deployment into clinical practice settings.
The YourCare+ Self-Referral Platform for
Home and Community Support Services(Poster #31)
Authors & Affiliations:
Andrew Costa1
Sydney Jones (Presenter)2
1

YourCare+ Lead – Canada Research Chair
in Integrated Care for Seniors, Schlegel
Research Chair in Clinical Epidemiology &Aging, McMaster University, ScientificDirector of St. Joseph’s Health System
Centre for Integrated Care, and interRAI
Canada fellow
2
YourCare+ Manager – McMaster
University; Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact.
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Objectives: The YourCare+ Self-Referral
Platform allows older adults, caregivers,
and people living with supportive careneeds to digitally navigate and self-refer
to home and community services. This
reduces the need for health professionals
to conduct assessments in-person or overthe phone.

Method: This platform is being piloted
with service organizations inSouthwestern Ontario. An interRAI SelfReported Assessment is completed
digitally on yourcareplus.ca by anindividual or their caregiver(s). Algorithms
prioritize service recommendations basedon health needs. Ontario service
directories are integrated to generate
personalized lists of local services. Direct
self-referral and booking are planned.
Results: This platform will streamline theprocess of connecting individuals toservices. Anticipated outputs include thedevelopment of sophisticated servicelinking algorithms. Our team has adapted
assessments previously administered byclinicians into validated self-reportversions that can be used by informal
caregivers and older adults to self-assesscare needs.
Conclusions: By harnessing algorithms
that identify and prioritize services
according to individual needs, ourplatform offers an automated mechanism
for self-navigation. This technology will be
an asset to healthcare navigation
strategies on a provincial and national
scale and will provide the ideal training
ground for learning algorithm
development that could be deployed toalternate scenarios.
Comparative Analysis of Usability Studies
on PRIMS: Insights and Implications(Poster #33)
Authors & Affiliations:
Bronwyn Bridges
Jake Taylor (Presenter)
PragmaClin Research Inc.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Parkinson's Disease (PD) affects ten
million people globally and requires
objective remote monitoring systems fordetailed patient condition tracking.
PragmaClin developed the Parkinson's
Remote Interactive Monitoring system(PRIMS) to track disease progression. This
research presents an evaluation of PRIMS
through an in-house usability study
conducted in Summer 2022 and 2023.
Data from the usability investigation wasused to redesign the system. Bronwyn
Bridges, a PhD candidate at Memorial
University of Newfoundland and CEO of
PragmaClin Research Inc., led the study,
and co-authored the research paper with
Jake Taylor, a research assistant with
PragmaClin. Bronwyn was under thesupervision of Dr. John Weber, professor
at Memorial Universities School of
Pharmacy. The study aimed to assess andcompare PRIMS' functionality, usability,
and user experience for patients with
Parkinson's. Multiple methods, includinginterviews and field notes, were used forevaluation. The old PRIMS system had an
average completion time of 67.66 mins,
while the new system reduced it to 16.26
mins. The improved version resulted in
fewer repeats, software bugs, and skipped
tests. Thematic analysis of interview
transcripts indicated a preference forvideo instructions and confusion withwritten instructions. Field notes analysis
showed that the newer system reduced
patient frustration and confusion. In
conclusion, the updated PRIMS version
addressed issues identified in initialusability testing, delivering a user-friendly
product tailored to Parkinson's patients'
needs. The investigation's data will serve
as a valuable reference for future
researchers and developers working withdigital systems for individuals with
Parkinson's.
Evaluating the Ability of a Predictive
Vision-Based Machine Learning Model to
Measure Changes in Gait in Response to
Medication and DBS Within Individuals
with Parkinson’s Disease (Poster #34)
Authors & Affiliations:
Andrea Sabo (Presenter)2Andrea Iaboni1,2,3
Babak Taatia4,5,6,
Alfonso Fasanoa7,8,9,10
Carolina Gorodetsky7,8
1

KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2
Department of Psychiatry, University ofToronto3
Centre for Mental Health, University
Health Network
4
Department of Computer Science,
University of Toronto
5
Institute of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto
6
Vector Institute
7
Division of Neurology, The Hospital for
Sick Children
8
Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s
Disease, Morton and Gloria Shulman
Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto
Western Hospital, UHN
9
Krembil Brain Institute10
CenteR for Advancing
Neurotechnological Innovation to
Application (CRANIA)
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Background: Gait impairments in
Parkinson’s disease (PD) are often treatedwith dopaminergic medication or deepbrain stimulation (DBS). Computer visionbased approaches have not been

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
evaluated for their ability to identify
changes within individuals in response totreatment. This pilot study examines
whether a vision-based model, trained onvideos of parkinsonism, is able to detect
improvement in parkinsonian gait inpeople with PD in response to medication
and DBS use.
Methods: A machine learning modeltrained to predict MDS-UPDRS-gait scoresin videos of older adults with druginduced parkinsonism was used to predict
MDS-UPDRS-gait scores on a dataset of 42
paired walks from 13 individuals with PD
recorded while ON and OFF medication
and DBS treatment during the same
clinical visit. Statistical methods wereused to evaluate model responsiveness tochanges in gait in the ON and OFF states.
Results: The MDS-UPDRS-gait scores
predicted by the model were lower on
average (representing improved gait; p =0.017, Cohen’s d = 0.495) during the ON
medication and DBS treatment conditions.
The magnitude of the differences
between ON and OFF state wassignificantly correlated between model
predictions and clinician annotations (p =0.014). However, the predicted scores
were not significantly correlated with theclinician scores (Kendall’s tau-b = 0.16, p =0.09) and were distributed in a smaller
range compared to the clinician scores.
Conclusion: A vision-based model trainedon parkinsonian gait did not accurately
predict MDS-UPDRS-gait scores in adifferent PD cohort, but detected
proportional changes in response to
medication and DBS use.
Designing an In-App Tutorial for a
Smartphone-Based Memory Aid Using
the Person-Based Approach (Poster #35)

Authors & Affiliations:
Raphael Kwok (Presenter)1
Bryan Hong1
Morgan D. Barense1,2
1

Department of Psychology, University ofToronto2
Rotman Research InstituteDisplayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
As our population ages, memory decline
becomes more significant and prevalent.
To address this, we designed asmartphone-based application called
HippoCamera that leverages principles
from cognitive neuroscience to help users
improve memory for everyday events.
However, the application currently
requires users to be trained in a one-onone setting, limiting its usability and wide
adoption. The objective of this work was
to design an in-app tutorial to teach users
how to use HippoCamera independently.
We followed the Person-Based Approach,which combines the rigor of traditional
clinical research and iterative design
methods. We analyzed data from a priorco-creation study with older adults using
behaviour change frameworks (e.g.,
Behaviour Change Wheel, Theoretical
Domains Framework) to identify a set of
initial guiding principles for the tutorial
design. Using these principles, we createda high-fidelity tutorial prototype in Figma.
We then evaluated the tutorial using amixed-methods research approach using
think-aloud interviews and the mHealth
App Usability Questionnaire to gather
end-user feedback from older adults. Thisdata was analyzed with the previously
mentioned behaviour change frameworks
to iterate and continuously improve upon
the tutorial prototype. This robust design
approach allows us to develop an

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
effective tutorial with an improved user
experience that incorporates end-user
feedback. More importantly, thedesigned tutorial will let users more easily
use the HippoCamera application to help
alleviate and prevent potential memory
decline, ultimately making the application
more widely adopted and scalable.
Validation of a Brief Scale to Measure
Usability of Locator Device Products(Poster #36)
Authors & Affiliations:
Antonio Miguel Cruz (Presenter)1,2,3
Daum, C. 1,2
Liubaoerjijin, Y.1
Alshammari, S.1
Liu, L.2
1

University of Alberta
University of Waterloo
3
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Individuals with cognitive impairment are
at risk of getting lost while walking alone
and navigating in unfamiliar
environments. Locator devices may
mitigate these risks. Despite the potentialof locator devices to mitigate the risk ofgetting lost among persons living withdementia, no standardized approach
exists to assess their acceptance andusability. In previous phases of this study,
we created two versions of an acceptanceand usability of locator devices
questionnaire: one for persons living withdementia and one for care partners. This
present study aims to test thequestionnaires' reliability and constructand criterion-related validity. Forty-five
dyads of persons living with dementia andtheir care partners will be recruited. They

will use SafeTracks Prime Mobile for three
weeks. After the first and second weeks,
each dyad member will rate the locator
device using technology acceptance andusability and the System Usability
questionnaires. Feedback will be collected
through virtual "think-aloud interviews."
Internal consistency will be assessed using
Cronbach's alpha. Exploratory factor
analysis will be conducted to evaluate
construct validity. Criterion validity will be
determined using the Spearman rank’s
correlation. Recruitment is currently open
for this study. Our presentation will
showcase the two questionnaires, and thefindings will focus on reliability, constructand criterion-related validity. The
acceptance and usability of the locator
devices questionnaire is a tool that will
support persons living with dementia andtheir care partners to identify a locator
device that best suits their needs.
Kinematics Analysis of a Set of Static andDynamic Functional Activities Amongst
Elderly With and Without History of Fall,and Healthy Young People (Poster #37)
Authors & Affiliations:
Farhad Azadi (Presenter)1
Mohammad Parnianpour2
Hassan Shakeri1
Anoushirvan Kazemnejad3
Ahmad Ali Akbari Kamrani4
Amir Masoud Arab1
Iraj Abdollahi1
Mehdi Maahi5
1Physiotherapy Department of Universityof Social Welfare and Rehabilitation
Sciences2
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Sharif University of Technology
3
Department of Statistics, Tarbiat
Modares University

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
4

Iranian Research Center on Aging and
Department of Gerontology of Universityof Social Welfare and Rehabilitation
Sciences
5Sport Physiology Nerve and Muscle Dr.
Foot Clinic
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Objectives: Fall is a common problem ingrowing population of elderly people that
imposes a lot of costs on individuals,
families and society. Identifying older
people at risk of fall - to benefit frompreventive methods - is a challenge forhealth areas. The purpose of this study
was to introduce a model(s) to identify
seniors at risk of fall.
Materials and Methods: 11 senior living
community in the age range of 66 to 87
years and mean (±SD) 74.09(±6.25) years
that fell two or more times in the past
year , 34 senior living community in theage range of 65 to 86 years and the mean(± SD) 71.12(±5.09 ) years that had not
any history of fall in the past year and 38
healthy young living in the community inthe age range of 20 to 35 years andmean (±SD) 29.45(± 3.93) years wereenrolled. Clinical tests of CTSIB, FICSIT-4,
AST, STS-5, TUG, FGA and MDRT in all
three groups were done and individual
scores were recorded. Simultaneously,
five Inertial- Magnetic sensors on head,trunk, right thigh, right shank and rightfoot recorded joint angles, angularvelocity and linear acceleration of therespective segments.
Results: ANOVA results showed that
almost - but not in all cases - static clinicaltests and relevant kinematic data of thethree study groups did not differ
significantly. Relative reliability, ANOVA
and Tukey test showed that joint angles

were not good indicators for identifying
elderly people at risk of fall. Binary
Logistic regression results showed thatsegmental angular velocities and linear
accelerations can differentiate between
elderly people at risk of fall from those
not at risk of fall.
Conclusion: The study showed thatangular velocity and linear acceleration
better than clinical tests can differentiate
between elderly people at risk of fall fromthose not at risk of fall.
Measuring Kitchen Activity in Older
Adults Through the Use of Videos (Poster#38)
Authors & Affiliations:Charles Azuelos
Keisha PowellFrank Knoefel
Bruce Wallace (Presenter)
Krista Whitney
Bruyere Research InstituteDisplayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Introduction: Analyzing function in aclinical setting may not accurately reflect
how an individual functions when in theirown home environment since being
observed by a clinician or a lack offamiliarity in the clinical environment canchange behavior. Importantly, an accurate
functional evaluation has therapeutic anddiagnostic clinical implications. We wereinterested in determining functional
kitchen activity of older adults with arange of cognitive impairment when
performing in their own home. Smarthome technologies including home
security and video conferencing systems
with cameras are increasingly common

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookand could be used for ongoing functional
assessments.
Method: Best Buy Assured Living WellCamcameras were installed in the kitchens of
3 older adults who had moderate tosevere cognitive impairment and who
were living at home. Thirty-second video
clips of activity were recorded during 2hour periods of the day (lunch and dinner)and analysed offline. Functional activities(e.g., cleaning, organizing, meal prep),
kitchen tools used (e.g., fridge, oven,coffee/tea kettle), and time spent in the
kitchen alone/with caregiver were coded
and analysed.
Results: Increasingly severe cognitive
impairment resulted in fewer recordings
where a functional task was performed(Moderate CI: 20% vs Severe CI: 9%) andfewer videos with tool use (Moderate CI:
15% vs Severe CI: 3% of all videos) by the
person with cognitive impairment.
Despite spending more time alone in the
kitchen (Severe CI: 80% vs Moderate CI:59%), the individuals with Severe CI wereless active during these periods compared
to individuals with moderate CI.
Discussion: Individuals with severe
cognitive impairment continued toperform simple tasks that were less of asafety risk. Future development of AI
algorithms to code specific tasks fromvideo recordings may be able to provide
early identification of functional change.
An Exploratory Investigation of the
LOVOT Social Robot as a Companion forOlder Adults in Long Term Care (Poster#39)
Authors & Affiliations:
Lillian Hung
Hiro Ito

Joey Wong (Presenter)
Helen Banh
Karen Lok Yi Wong
Farideh Faridnia
Mario Gregorio
Lily Wong
Hossein Mousavi
Olivia Du
Sahar Allen
Adam Lin
University of British Columbia
UBC IDEA Lab
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Objective: This exploratory study aims to
explore how older adults living in
Canadian Long Term Care (LTC) homes
experience and perceive LOVOT, aconsumer home robot from Japan.
Methods: This is the extended arm of amixed-methods, three-country study
conducted in Singapore, Hong Kong, andCanada. The Canadian sample consists of
37 older adults, 7 family members, 23interdisciplinary staff, and 4 leadershipteam members of a LTC home in
Vancouver, British Columbia. The
participants are invited to join four weekly
sessions of interaction with LOVOT. We
conducted conversational interviews witholder adults and focus groups with the LTC
staff and leadership. We use thematic
analysis to guide our initial conceptual
framework.
Results: This study will demonstrate (1)the experiences and perceptions of older
adults and their family members inregards to interacting with the LOVOT
robot, and (2) the LTC staff and leadership
perceptions on having the LOVOT robot in
LTC.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Implications: The study offers insights into
the potential role of social robots in LTC
homes across eastern and westerncountries.
Supporting Healthy Aging ThroughCommunity-Academic Partnerships,
Research, and Personal Health
Information Tracking (Poster #40)
Authors & Affiliations:
Dawn Pittman (Presenter)1,2
Joan Cranston3
Roza Tchoukaleyska4Paul Price2,5Randy Griffen6
Jennifer Buxton2
1

Western Regional School of Nursing
Memorial University of NL
3
Bonne Bay Consulting
4
Western University
5
CAIR (Centre for Analytics, Informatics
and Research)
6
IBM Canada
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: To provide an overview of theGreat Northern Peninsula ResearchCollective (GNP-RC); to review thedevelopment of a personal health data
tracking software application; and to
discuss how community-academic
partnerships, research, and personal
health information tracking can support
healthy aging.
The GNP-RC was formed in 2019 as acommunity-academic partnership
geographically centered on the Great
Northern Peninsula in Newfoundland andLabrador (NL). The GNP-RC has met
regularly since then to connect
communities to researchers and has

focused on community identified needs
and priorities that can be supported withresearch. The GNP-RC has successfully
worked together on a number of projects
including the creation of a social
enterprise led community health space,community kitchen initiatives, and local
agriculture production. The latest
community-led project has centered on
personal health information and thecreation of a software application that canbe used to input and track health data.
This health information can be visualized,
trends can be reviewed, and the data canbe used to increase awareness and inform
healthy behaviour changes. The idea totrack personal health information and todevelop a software application that can beused by community members wasconceptualized by a local community
leader and health practitioner who has
been working with communities toimprove their health. Meetings with the
GNP-RC led to revisions and refinements
to the software with plans for
implementation in 2024. Progress on thedevelopment of the software will beshared, along with our thoughts on how
both community-academic partnerships,
research, and personal health information
tracking can support healthy aging.
Co-adaptation of Smart Technologies andOlder Adults Aging in Place: A Scoping
Literature Review (Poster #41)
Authors & Affiliations:
Kristina Kokorelias (Presenter)1
Alisa Grigorovich2
Umair Rehman3
Maurita Harris4
Kerstin Denecke
Louise Ritchie
AnneMarie Levy4
Josephine McMurray4

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
1

University of Toronto
Brock University
3
University of Waterloo
4
Wilfrid Laurier University
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Objectives: This scoping review aims tocomprehensively map the existingscientific literature on the co-adaptationof smart technologies and older adults
over time. By examining the interaction
between older adults and smart
technologies, this study seeks to enhance
the understanding of how older adults
adapt to and interact with smart
technologies, with the goal of improving
their experience and the benefits derived
from their use to support aging in place.
Methods: A scoping review methodology
guided by PRISMA-P and PRISMA-ScR
guidelines was employed. The study
utilizes the Selection, Optimization, andCompensation (SOC) framework and theSex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus
(SGBA+) theoretical framework to explore
the co-adaptation process. A systematic
search of databases was conducted,
followed by a two-phase screening
process. Data extraction covered study
characteristics, participant characteristics,
theoretical frameworks, findings, andlimitations. A numerical overview anddirected content analysis will be used fordata presentation and analysis.
Results: Preliminary results identified
patterns of selection, optimization, andcompensation strategies employed byolder adults and outcomes related to wellbeing, quality of life, and user experience.
Further insights will be provided into theways smart technologies can enhance
independent living and inform thedevelopment of future user-centered
technologies.
Conclusions: The findings will facilitate thedevelopment of more effective andsustainable AI-enabled technologicalsolutions to support older adults in aging
in place, while also identifying gaps andopportunities for future research.
Citation
Kokorelias, K., Grigorovich, A., Rehman,
U., Harris, M., Denecke, K., Ritchie, L.,
Levy, A., McMurray J. (2023). Coadaptation of Smart Technologies andOlder Adults Aging in Place: A Scoping
Literature Review. AGE-WELL Annual
Conference, October 24-26th, Toronto,ON.
An Evidence and Gap Map of Studies on
Digital Interventions to Reduce Social
Isolation and Loneliness Among Older
Adults (Poster #42)
Authors & Affiliations:
Vivian Welch¹
Elizabeth Ghogomu (Presenter)¹
Victoria Barbeau¹
Sierra Dowling¹
Rebecca Doyle¹
Ella Beveridge¹
Elisabeth Boulton²
Payaam Desai¹
Jimmy Huang¹
Nour Elmestekawy¹
Tarannum Hussain¹
Arpana Wadhwani¹
Sabrina Boutin³
Niobe Haitas³
Dylan Kneale⁴
Douglas M Salzwedel⁵
Roger Simard³
Paul Hebert⁶
Christopher Mikton⁷

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
¹Methods Centre, Bruyere ResearchInstitute²Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social
Work, School of Health Sciences,
University of Manchester³Canadian Red Cross
⁴Social Science Research Unit, EPPI-Centre,
UCL Institute of Education, University
College London
⁵Department of Anesthesiology,
Pharmacology and Therapeutics,
University of British Columbia
⁶Centre Hospitalier de l'Université deMontréal
⁷Department of Social Determinants ofHealth, World Health Organization

focused on reducing loneliness anddepression and improving the quality oflife of older adults. Major gaps wereidentified in community level outcomesand process indicators. No included
studies or reviews assessed affordability
or digital divide.

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET

Enhancing Hospital Workflow Efficiency
and Safety Through Novel Patient
Transfer Device Implementation: A Pilot
Study (Poster #43)

Objectives: This evidence and gap map
identifies areas of evidence as well as any
gaps in research related to using digitaland remotely delivered interventions to
mitigate social isolation and/or lonelinessin older adults.
Method: We followed the Campbell
Collaboration methods and based on theMasi framework, the interventions include
interventions for enhancing social
interactions; for enhancing social support;
for improving social skills; and for social
cognitive training.
Results: The EGM includes 103 primarystudies and 97 systematic reviews, withmost conducted in high-income countries
and none in low-income countries. The
most common interventions are digitalinterventions to enhance social
interactions with family and friends andthe community via videoconferencing andtelephone calls. Digital interventions toenhance social support, particularlysocially assistive robots, and virtual pets
were also common. Most interventions

Conclusions: Although the evidence isrelatively large and recent, it is unevenly
distributed and there is a need for morehigh-quality research. This map can guideresearchers and funders to consider areasof major gaps as priorities for further
research.

Authors & Affiliations:
Shreya Budhiraja1
Bruce Wallace2,3Paula Doering1
Heidi Sveistrup2,4
Amy Hsu2
Mary Egan2,4
Jayesh Singh
Prateek Mishra5
Blake Daly1
Ataallah Farajzadeh2,4
Donguk Jo2,4
Miriam Goubran 2,4Martin Bilodeau (Presenter)2,4,6,7
1

Bruyère Continuing Care
Bruyère Research Institute3
Carleton University
4
School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Facultyof Health Sciences, University of Ottawa
5Able Innovations
6
School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of
Health Sciences, University of Ottawa
7
University of Ottawa LIFE ResearchInstitute2

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Patient transfer and repositioning
activities are labor intensive requiring
multiple staff members. Transferring
patients safely is challenging due tostaffing shortages and injury risk. The costof staff injury claims and return-to-workinitiatives are significant. This pilot study
introduces an innovative solution, the
ALTA PlatformTM, a cutting-edge robotic
patient transfer device developed by Able
Innovations. The ALTA PlatformTM
enables single staff transfers, while
mitigating injury risks. The study was
conducted at Bruyère Continuing Careacross two units: a Low Intensity
Rehabilitation Unit and a Complex Care
Unit. The study comprised two phases:
Phase 1 focused on current transfer
practices using ceiling lifts, while Phase 2
was dedicated to ALTA use. Direct
observation allowed to measure staff
engagement, transfer duration, and staff
wait times. Interviews and surveys
captured staff and patient feedback on
current transfer practices and the ALTA
PlatformTM. The findings suggest that the
ALTA PlatformTM, enabling single staff
transfers, provides the hospital with
operational efficiencies. In current
practice, waiting for a second staff fortransfers takes extra time (range of 0-16
minute, or average 2.2-4.2 minutes).
Physical transfer times are comparable(average 1.5-2 min) between current
practice and the ALTA PlatformTM fortransfers between beds. As healthcare
institutions strive to navigate challenges
such as staff shortages, adopting
innovative solutions like the ALTA
PlatformTM has the potential to improve
patient care quality and clinical staff wellbeing.

Adapting Exergaming Technology(MouvMat) for Older Adults Living in
LTCHs (Poster #44)
Authors & Affiliations:Charlene Chu (Presenter)1
Renee Biss2
Haniya Bharucha1
Henrique Matulis1
1
2

University of Toronto
University of Windsor

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: MouvMat is an exergaming
technology with an interactive digital
gaming surface that was co-designed witha user-centered design approach for older
adults (OA) living in long term care homes.
As part of an ongoing trial to test theefficacy of the MouvMat when
implemented in long-term care homes,
we evaluated the acceptability of thetechnology and report on adaptations
made to improve the technology based on
feedback from OA participants.
Method: 33 OAs residing in long-term carehomes used the MouvMat during 1-hourgroup sessions 3 times per week for 6
weeks. A research assistant facilitated useof the technology and recorded their
feedback during sessions.
Results: Participant ratings indicated that
the MouvMat was acceptable and OAs
with a range of comorbid healthconditions were able to attend sessions
and engage with the intervention. Basedon feedback from participants andobservations about their physical abilities,
the design of MouvMat was adapted froma floor model to a tabletop prototype to a
micro version.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Conclusions: Future studies will continue
to improve MouvMat’s design andinterface to ensure that the technology
serves the needs of OAs living in longterm care.
What’s Your Aging Story? How Digital
Storytelling Can Change the Way We
Look at Aging (Poster #45)
Authors & Affiliations:
Michelle Goonasekera (Presenter)1
Shanuki Goonasekera2
1

University of Toronto, Dalla Lana Schoolof Public Health2
Community Member
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Ageism has perpetuated negative
stereotypes and misconceptions about
aging, leading to discrimination andexclusion of older adults and a societal
fear of aging. Research indicates that ourperceptions of aging can impact ourhealth and well-being as we grow older.
Our objective is to showcase authentic
experiences of aging through digitalstorytelling. The Age Collective is an
online platform that we developed toshare diverse stories of aging,encompassing both challenges andtriumphs across different age groups. We
recruited participants through word of
mouth and conducted interviews using
audio or video equipment. Interview
questions were tailored to the participant
to reveal their unique story. Participants
were also photographed. These interviews
were condensed into short stories orvideos and published on the project’s
Instagram page (@theagecollective) andwebsite (theagecollective.com).

Educational infographics on aging werealso created and shared on Instagram.
From Feb 2022 - Aug 2023, we haveshared stories from 31 participants andcreated 19 educational infographics. We
have 775 followers and received 2,612
likes on the Instagram page. The website,
established in June 2023, has achieved aunique viewership of 1,053 in the past 30
days. In the digital age, initiatives like
digital storytelling can reach global
audiences, crossing cultural barriers andsparking international movements. By
sharing personal aging stories, digitalstorytelling can humanize aging, dismantle
stereotypes, and foster connections
across generations.
Empowering Senior Care at Home: A
Comprehensive Review of Indoor
Localization Technologies (Poster #46)
Authors & Affiliations:
Koorosh Roohi (Presenter)
Atena Roshan Fekr
The KITE Research Institute, Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute - University Health
Network
Institute of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: The main objective of this study
is to conduct a comprehensive review ofrecent indoor localization technologies
used in various applications such as
monitoring seniors at home.
Method: We used Google Scholar initiallyto obtain a broader sample using generalsearch terms. Subsequently, we used
more specific search terms on Scopus,
IEEExplore, MDPI, and Web of Science. In

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
total, 240 papers were found from which
177 papers were selected by filtering
based on our inclusion criteria, and finally,
95 papers were reviewed for this state-ofthe-art review. We primarily focused onliterature from the past 10 years, withover half of the papers being publishedbetween 2019 and 2023.
Results: We classified indoor localization
technologies into four groups: RF-based,
Inertial-based, Vision-based, and Fusion
technology. We compared theirlocalization performance, coverage, timecomplexity, and cost. RF-based solutions,
including mmWave radar, achieved
precise centimeter-level localization in
real-time by extracting point clouds frommoving targets. In the RF-based
technologies, Wi-Fi-based solutions
provided broader coverage while
maintaining acceptable localization
performance. Some vision-based
approaches also achieved centimeterlevel accuracy but raised privacy concerns
for in-home monitoring. Inertial-based
wearables emerged as a cost-efficientsolution for indoor localization, yet they
faced challenges with accumulated errors
over time and seniors' consistent usage.
Overall, fusion approaches, integrating
data from different sources, improved the
localization performance.
Conclusions: Among the reviewed
solutions, contactless approaches incombination with RF-based technologies
are among the best for monitoring seniors
in the home. These technologies can beleveraged with methods like machinelearning and deep learning for additionaltasks such as activity recognition.
Co-Designing Socio-CulturallyAppropriate Virtual Geriatric Care forDiverse Older Adults Living with HIV: A

Community-Based Participatory,
Intersectional Protocol (Poster #47)
Authors & Affiliations:Paige Brown (Presenter)1,17
Kristina M Kokorelias1,2,3,4
Marina B Wasilewski2,4,5Ashley Flanagan3
Alice Zhabokritsky6,7,8
Hardeep Singh2,4,9
Erica Dove4,9Andrew D Eaton10,11
Dean Valentine1,2,13
Christine L Sheppard11
Reham Abdelhalim14
Rabea Parpia15
Rahel Zewude7
Laura Jamieson16
Anna Grosse1
Sharon Walmsley6,7,8
Luxey Sirisegaram1
1

Division of Geriatric Medicine,
Department of Medicine, Sinai Health
System and University Health Network
2
Department of Occupational Science &Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of
Medicine, University of Toronto
3
National Institute on Ageing, Toronto
Metropolitan University
4
Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
5
St. John’s Rehab Research Program,
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
6
Infectious Diseases, Department ofMedicine, University Health Network
7
Division of Infectious Diseases,
Department of Medicine, University ofToronto8
CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network
9
KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
10
Faculty of Social Work – Saskatoon
Campus, University of Regina
11
Factor-Inwentash School of Social Work,
University of Toronto

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
12

Ontario Ministry of Health and LongTerm Care
13
Casey House Hospital
14
Burlington Ontario Health Team, Joseph
Brant Memorial Hospital
15
St Michael’s Hospital
16
Ontario Federation of Indigenous
Friendship Centres
17
Undergraduate Medical Education,
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University ofTorontoObjectives: To understand theperspectives of older persons living withHIV from equity-deserving groups on (1)The value and necessity of equitable andculturally-appropriate virtualinterventions, such as email and video
teleconferencing, for geriatric HIV care;(2) How best to engage older persons
living with HIV in the future co-design of avirtual model of geriatric HIV care.
Methods: This study employs qualitative
methods to lay the groundwork foracquiring foundational knowledge fromolder persons living with HIV, thereby
informing the co-development of asociocultural-informed virtual geriatriccare model. In Phase 1, older persons
living with HIV will participate in focus
groups and interviews to share virtual andgeriatric HIV care experiences. In Phase 2,
half-day co-design workshops will be heldwith older persons living with HIV, whereparticipants will develop interventions forvirtual geriatric HIV care. In Phase 3,
participants will refine co-designed
interventions to improve the ideal modelof virtual geriatric HIV care.
Results: It is anticipated that older
persons living with HIV participating ininterviews, focus groups, and co-design
workshops will contribute insight
regarding the priorities of older persons
living with HIV for virtual care, previous

experiences receiving virtual HIV care, andhow best to meet geriatric-HIV needs bydeveloping a virtual model of care.
Conclusions: Older persons living with HIV
have unique care needs related to aging
and HIV, which geriatric specialists caneffectively address. Co-designing witholder persons living with HIV is critical tocreating equitable and culturallyappropriate models of geriatric HIV careand interventions that address thisgroup's unique aging and HIV-related careneeds.
Reducing the Burdens of Professional
Caregivers of Older Adults Using Assistive
Technology: a Scoping Review (Poster#48)
Authors & Affiliations:U-Yeong Choi1
Patrick Patterson2
Norma Chinho (Presenter)2
1
2

McMaster University
AGE-WELL NCE NIH APPTA Hub

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: This scoping review aims toevaluate the effects of assistive
technologies on the challenges faced byprofessional caregivers, focusing on
personal support workers (PSWs). The
study addresses the emotional andphysical burdens experienced by PSWs,
which contribute to low retention rates
and reduced desirability for the
profession. As the global aging population
increases, the demand for professional
caregivers to support older adults withcomplex health conditions in aging inplace is also rising.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Method: The scoping review involved an
extensive search of relevant literature toassess the impacts of assistive
technologies designed to support
professional caregivers. A comprehensive
review and analysis of studies fromacademic databases were conducted togather insights.
Results: Findings reveal that assistive
technologies, including physical ormobility aids, sensor and monitoring
technologies, and social robots, offer
significant benefits to professional
caregivers. These technologies have thepotential to improve the quality of carefor older adults, alleviate caregiverburdens, and enhance the caregiving
experience. Additionally, they contributeto increased job satisfaction, which may
improve retention rates amongprofessional caregivers.
Conclusions: Assistive technologies holdpromise as effective tools to provide
quality care and reduce burdens for
professional caregivers, particularly PSWs.
Integrating these technologies into
caregiving practices can enhance caregiverwell-being. As a result, they canpotentially increase the desirability of the
caregiving profession and address thegrowing demand for professional
caregivers. Continued research anddevelopment is crucial to maximize thepotential of assistive technologies insupporting and empowering professional
caregivers.
Evaluating Swidget Technology Across Six
Aging Personas (Poster #49)
Authors & Affiliations:
Julien Larivière-Chartier1
Phil Masson
Phillippe Forster

Bruce Wallace2
Heidi Sveistrup3
Laura Ault (Presenter)1
Rafik Goubran2
Neil Thomas1
Frank Knoefel1
1

Bruyere Research InstituteCarleton University
3
University of Ottawa
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Background: Home sensing technology
can be used to support a variety of
medical conditions, including persons
living with dementia and their partners.
Home sensors can be challenging to installand maintain, as they are often battery
operated, and the onus to manage andchange batteries is placed onto the carepartner. Sensor technology that can plug
into a home’s wiring would address thischallenge.
Method: Swidget technologies hasdeveloped modular sensors that integrate
into house outlets and light switches,
supported by cloud intelligence. Thesesensors will be configured in a lab testing
space to evaluate their ability to support
aging in place especially for persons livingwith dementia. Six personas will becreated based on real situations observedby physicians with expertise in this area.
The Swidget technology will be tested on
their ability to support these personas.
Results: The results will demonstrate how
the Swidget sensor system can be used tosupport aging in place and how thisinnovative sensor technology solution canbe integrated and used within typicalresidential settings.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Discussion/Conclusion: As batteries do notneed to be changed, certain user
responsibilities are lifted, however, theintegration of a sensor within a powersocket presents challenges due to their
fixed positions in a room. This work will
present solutions to these challenges foreach persona scenario being tested.
Initial Feasibility of a Blended Online
Memory and Brain Health Promotion
Intervention for Older Adults (Poster #50)
Authors & Affiliations:Renée Biss (Presenter)1
Kristoffer Romero1
Jarod Joshi1
Susan Vandermorris2
Angela Troyer2
12

University of Windsor
Baycrest Health Sciences

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Cognitive interventions thatteach memory strategies and ways tooptimize brain health have establishedbenefits for older adults. Offering these
programs online can improve access toevidence-based cognitive interventions
for older adults outside of major urban
centres or with disabilities that create
barriers for in-person attendance. We
explored the initial feasibility of an online
blended, flipped classroom version of theMemory and Aging Program, a cognitive
intervention program for older adults.
This program is well-validated in a face-toface format and has a self-guided elearning version that has recently beenshown to be feasible and acceptable. We
combined the asynchronous e-learningcomponent with synchronous, online

group discussions to provide peer support
and guidance from a facilitator.
Method: Over a 5-week period,
participants completed psychoeducation
modules at home on their own devices
and attended weekly one-hour
videoconference sessions.
Results: In our first offering, 7 participants(Mage = 61 years) completed theprogram. Attendance was 94% at weekly
meetings. During a focus group following
completion, participants indicated apreference for the online format, forreasons including commuting time andcomfort of completing activities at homewith their own devices. They identified
self-paced learning and accountability
associated with meeting together as
benefits of this format. Challenges
included quality of Internet access,technical difficulties with online materials,
and keeping program materials up to
date.
Conclusions: Our preliminary results
suggest that online offerings of programs
that include peer support are liked byolder adults and may serve different
individuals than those interested in faceto-face programs.
Getting Serious About Serious VR Gamesfor People with Dementia: A Scoping
Review of Applications Designed to Date
(Poster #51)
Authors & Affiliations:S. Lewis-Fung1
H. Alizai2
S.L. Ansell2
Isabella Garito (Presenter)2
J. Vemulakonda2
V. Kishore2
L. Appel1,2,3

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

1

OpenLab, University Health Network
York University
3
Michael Garron Hospital2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
There is increasing evidence of theeffectiveness of game-based dementia
treatments, with a growing investment in
Virtual Reality (VR). To date, there are no
guidelines for their design or use and thenumber of available apps remains unclear.
A systematic environmental scan was
conducted following PRISMA
methodology. 255 apps designed to be
used in a VR/AR headset by PwD wereextracted from popular game-engines(e.g., Oculus, Steam), as well as peerreviewed and grey literature (e.g., Google,
Google Scholar), and were screened bythree independent reviewers, resulting in
16 apps included for analysis. The
included apps focused on
wellbeing/relaxation/reminiscence (8/16),
exercise (4/16), dementia
diagnosis/detection (2/16), and cognition(2/16). Most (13/16) described dementiaspecific features to support
physical/cognitive limitations,social/emotional needs or safety (e.g.,
intuitive design, multi-modal instructions,familiar environments, remain seated).
Three (3/16, for business) featured a“companion” tablet-app for a caregiver toselect and monitor content. A minority(2/16) had cooperative capabilities
enabling interaction between users in VR.
None reported compliance with standard
accessibility guidelines or medical device
certification. The few available VR-apps
for PwD are heterogeneous in purpose
and yet do not meet their complex needs.
Although the majority include dementiaspecific features, are theory-based, andhave undergone end-user

engagement/testing, VR-apps for PwD are
in early stages of design/validation, withover half described only in literature.
Rigorous studies evaluating efficacy andsafety are required before VR-apps can be
widely recommended for PwD.
Hearing Aid-Integrated Assistive Listeningfor Live Music (Poster #52)
Authors & Affiliations:
Sean McWeeny (Presenter)1,3
Laurel J. Trainor1,3
Steve Armstrong4
Dan Bosnyak1,3
Hany Tawfik1,3
Ian C. Bruce2,31

Department of Psychology, Neuroscienceand Behaviour, McMaster University
2
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, McMaster University,
3
McMaster Institute for Music and theMind, Faculty of Science, McMaster
University
4SoundsGood Labs
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Live music creates a sense ofconnectedness in older adults (Hays &Minichiello, 2005), a majority of whom
have hearing loss, but most hearing aid(HA) users are dissatisfied with the soundquality for live music (Greasley et al.,2020). Here, we tested an assistive
listening system integrated into users’ HAs
during an orchestral concert.
Method: Participants with moderate-tosevere hearing loss were assigned to use
Sonova-provided HAs with a telecoil (n =20) or their own HAs (n = 8) without atelecoil during a performance by the
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. We

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookchanged loop input to use microphones
from the stage, balcony, or no feed every
5 minutes and collected associated soundquality and naturalness ratings.
Results: Repeated Measures ANOVA
found no differences among the loop feed
conditions for sound quality andnaturalness F(2, 56) = .92 and .78, p’s > .4,
respectively.
Conclusions: Though hearing aidintegrated assistive listening systems are apromising option for improving live music
for people with hearing loss, an assistivesystem does not seem to be crucial fororchestral music; additional work will
focus on music with vocals.
A Qualitative Evaluation of Implementing
New Technologies into Older Adult Care
Settings (Poster #53)
Authors & Affiliations:
Shaghayegh Mirbaha (Presenter)1
Nadège Puddicombe1
Alexander Winston1
Kristina M. Kokorelias2,3
Christine L. Sheppard4,5
Sander L. Hitzig1,3,6
1

St. John’s Rehab Research Program,
Sunnybrook Research Institute,
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
2
Sinai Health/University Health Network,
Healthy Ageing and Geriatrics Program3
Department of Occupational Science andOccupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of
Medicine, University of Toronto
4
Wellesley Institute5
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work,
University of Toronto
6
Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Objectives: The AGE-WELL AIR Program
was designed to support theimplementation of new technologies inlong-term care and home care. This study
evaluated the impact of the AIR Programand identified common implementationconsiderations of introducing newtechnologies into older adult living
settings.
Method: This qualitative study used theConsolidated Framework for
Implementation Research (CFIR) to
explore the experiences of stakeholders(vendors=6; decision-makers=20;
Implementation specialists=2; older adultresidents=5) at different sites (n=6) acrossCanada. Interview transcripts wereanalyzed using a deductive thematic
analysis approach.
Results: The technology’s trialability andassociated costs (CFIR – intervention
characteristic) were key considerations inpiloting a technology. End-users
emphasized the need for collective buy-in
across the organization (CFIR – Innersetting), which was facilitated through thetechnology’s ability to address clients’needs (CFIR – outer setting). Staff
responsible for overseeing the technology
needed to feel confident in using it andhave sufficient support (e.g., training; CFIR
– characteristics of the individuals), which
included having access to the AIR Program
implementation specialists who helpedwith the roll-out of the technologies (CFIR–process).
Conclusions: Stakeholders viewed the AIR
Program favorably and valued theimplementation specialist’s expertise inhelping them to pilot new technologies.
Our findings will help develop

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
implementation support tools to ensure
successful adoption of technologies inolder adult care settings.
Developing a User Interface to Provide
Sensor Feedback to Care Partners ofThose With Cognitive Impairment (Poster#54)
Authors & Affiliations:
Laura Ault1
Abagael Hudak
Julien Lariviere-Chartier1
Bruce Wallace2
Frank Knoefel1
Rafik Goubran2
Fateme Rajabiyazdi2
Neil W. Thomas (Presenter)11
2

Bruyere Research InstituteCarleton University

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Background: Home sensor technology has
the potential to collect and return
information related to activities of dailyliving. This feedback could provide useful
information to care partners of people
living with cognitive impairment. To
ensure this information is useful, amethod to view and interpret the data isrequired. In this study, a user interface
visualizing sensor data was developed,
and care partner opinions were collected.
Method: A preliminary user interface wasdesigned to present care partners withdaily and weekly metrics relating to their
daily activity and engagement. In thisstudy, participants accessed a 4-weeksimulated data set via the interface, which
represented data that can be collectedfrom home sensors. The goal was tocollect information on the utility, ease ofuse and interpretability of the data. At
study onset, participants completed
usability testing tasks and the System
Usability Scale and provided feedback on
the interface at the end.
Results: Three female care partners (agerange: 57-71, average: 64), of individuals
with dementia living in the community (2spousal, 1 child), used the interface for 4
weeks. Feedback consistent among all
participants was used to modify theinterface. Changes included: dashboard
layout changes, personalization andadded tooltips for clarity.
Discussion: An iterative design process
was used to develop an interface
presenting data from sensor technologies,
with adjustments implemented based onparticipant feedback. Next steps include:1) evaluating the modified interface toassess the usability of the changes andimprove our application; 2) ensuring the
new interface can provide real-time
feedback on activities of daily living.
Evaluating Vision-Based Human Motion
Encoders for Gait Analysis andParkinsonism Severity Prediction in
Clinical Settings (Poster #55)
Authors & Affiliations:Vida Adeli (Presenter)
Soroush Mehraban
Andrea Iaboni
Babak Taati
University of Toronto
KITE – TRI, University Health Network
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Gait analysis is vital for assessing human
movement in healthcare. Computer

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
vision-based human pose estimation
methods show promise for gait analysis,
capturing joint positions and movements,
making them suitable for motion-related
tasks. However, their efficacy in realworld clinical settings remains uncertain
due to the unique pathological gait
patterns not captured in public datasets.
This research investigates vision-based
methods for clinical gait analysis andemphasizes the significance of robust
human motion prior for understanding
abnormal gait patterns. This study aims toevaluate various off-the-self humanmotion encoders using clinical gait data ofolder adults, to understand their efficacy
in clinical settings and their potential inpredicting parkinsonism severity in older
adults with dementia. Microsoft Kinect isused to extract joint trajectories from 399
walking bouts of 14 older adults withdementia, annotated with parkinsonism
severity scores using the MDS-UPDRS Part
III gait subscore. Five open-source humanmotion encoders (PoseTransformers,
MixSTE, PoseFormerV2, MotionBERT, andMoDi) are employed to transform motion
data into a rich representation or motion
prior. These representations were used to
predict parkinsonism scores in natural
walking bouts of unseen participants. To
evaluate the effectiveness of each motion
encoder, we compared the motion priors
generated by these five methods and finetuned the models to optimize
performance. The best model achieved
macro-averaged F1-scores of 0.81 for
UPDRS-gait prediction, demonstrating thepotential of vision-based human pose
estimation methods for predicting
parkinsonism severity in clinical scenarios.
The study highlights the importance ofsuitable human motion priors for clinicalapplications such as gait analysis andParkinsonism score prediction. Usingstate-of-the-art motion encoders and realclinical data, it offers insights into thepractical use of vision-based pose
estimation in healthcare, promising
improved diagnostics and personalized
treatments for movement disorders.
How Vision Loss Affects Older Adults’
Narrative Listening Experiences (Poster#56)
Authors & Affiliations:
Signe Lund Mathiesen (Presenter)
Baycrest Health Sciences
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Leisurely reading brings numerous
psychosocial benefits to older adults,
contributing to cognitive capacity,
subjective wellbeing, and longevity. Agerelated vision loss may hinder one’s ability
to read print, potentially limiting
engagement with literature. Transitioning
from reading to listening to stories offers
an alternative way to stay connected withnarrative media. However, little iscurrently known about how older adults
engage with spoken narratives, and how
vision loss impacts story-listening
experiences. This qualitative case study
represents an initial step in bridging thisresearch gap. Interviews with older
people above the age of 60 years (n = 21;
nine living with vision loss) wereconducted and analyzed using thematic
analysis to identify patterns in responses.
Findings show that audiobooks appear tooffer low vision and blind individuals
analogous engagement experiences as
written materials do for their sighted
counterparts. However, the onset ofvision loss, age, self-perceived ability toaccess and use technology, device
capability, and “reader identity” influenceolder adults’ motivation to engage with

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookand enjoyment of audiobooks. This work
identifies important factors that need tobe addressed to respond to the leisureneeds of older adults with vision loss andto facilitate optimal user experience andpotential benefit for this population.
Implications for the quality of life of older
people with accessibility needs, such as
vision loss, are discussed.
Frailty indicators as contributors to older
persons' degree of active living (Poster#57)
Authors & Affiliations:Ezinne Ekediegwu (Presenter)
Nancy Mayo
OPAL group
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Background: Frailty, a syndrome, or aclassification, is a major concern in aging
research. Frailty is a negative biologicalconstruct (something to avoid). Others
have reframed frailty as intrinsic capacity,
a positive biological construct (something
to strive for) that is reflected in measuresof functional ability.
Both constructs are affected by genetics
as well as personal and healthcharacteristics and by features of theenvironment. Intrinsic capacity, different
from frailty, adopts a functioning-oriented
approach, based on the World HealthOrganization’s International Classificationof Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF),
and considers not only physical capacities
but also cognitive, sensory,and psychological capacities. Intrinsic
capacity/frailty indicators undoubtedly
play a role in active living but how they doso is not known and this information

would lead to ways of optimizing thecapacities of older people to promote
active living and of adapting programs to
be inclusive. Objective: This study aims toidentify the extent to which frailty(intrinsic capacity) indicators contribute tovariations in active living among older
people 65 years and above. Hypothesis: It
is hypothesized that frailty indicators will
have a negative effect on active living in a
proportion of the population but will not
be sufficient to prevent active living in all.
Design & Methods: This study is an
explanatory cross-sectional study designthat will recruit participants from Canada,
the U.S.A, the U.K., and the Netherlands
via HostedinCanada, a well-known
platform that allows for inter-country(online) recruitment. Participants ³ 65
years (n = 210) will respond to several
questionnaires in English, French, Spanish,
or Dutch language regarding theirfunctional status, Health-related quality oflife, cognition, social support, apathetic
symptoms and depressive symptoms. The
outcome measure is active living(expressed as “ways of being”) which will
be assessed using the new HRQL-OPAL.
Obtained data will be analyzed using
descriptive statistics, Statistical Analytical
System (SAS), R, and Mplus.
Significance/Expected contribution: The
study's findings are expected to reveal thenecessary and sufficient contributors toactive living information that can serve asa guide for the development of inclusive
active living programs to improve thewell-being of all older adults. This is an
important goal considering that 1.4 billion
seniors are expected by 2030. As aphysiotherapy leader and emerging
African scholar committed to improving
the circumstances of older adults,
regardless of geographical location, I am
well-positioned to conduct this research. I
consider it my duty to use this learning

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
opportunity to inform the development ofactive living programs that support older
adults in less industrialized countries like
Nigeria, which has the highest number ofolder adults in Africa. It is both timely andwarranted to understand the contributorsof active living programs and use theinsights to inform active living programs
globally.
MotionAGFormer: A Versatile TwoStream Model for Efficient and Accurate
3D Human Pose Estimation in Ambient
Monitoring Systems (Poster #58)
Authors & Affiliations:
Soroush Mehraban (Presenter)
Vida Adeli
Babak Taati
KITE Research Institute, Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Leveraging 3D human body poses holds
considerable potential for application inambient monitoring systems such as falldetection, gait analysis, remote healthmonitoring, and physical rehabilitation.
Currently, 3D pose estimation usingtransformer-based approaches has seen
impressive progress. However, there are
two main challenges: either demanding
significant computational power for
accurate results or leading to erroneous
estimates. The computational complexityof transformers arises from theirutilization of a self-attention module,
which exhibits global dependencies byattending to the entire body structure
while estimating a single joint. In thisstudy, we develop a two-stream model. In
one stream, we utilize transformers to

capture global dependencies and overall
patterns in the data. In the other stream,
we introduce a novel module called"GCNFormer" (a combination of GCNs andTransformers). This module focuses on
the relationships between neighboring
body joints, enabling it to grasp more
localized and specific dependencies. By
merging the two streams, we propose
MotionAGFormer, which demonstrates
significant improvements over the current
state-of-the-art method for 3D humanestimation. It requires approximately 3.6
times less computation and fewer
parameters while attaining a notableenhancement of approximately 0.8mm in
MPJPE (Mean Per-Joint Position Error) on
the challenging Human3.6m dataset.
Furthermore, we introduce various
versions of MotionAGFormer, eachserving different purposes. Some models
are designed for real-time performance,
requiring 37 Million MACs/frame, whileothers are more complex but offer moreaccurate estimations. This versatility
allows MotionAGFormer to be suitable fora wide range of ambient applications
based on specific performance needs.
Two-Eyed Seeing: Co-creating culturallysafe and relevant diabetes care withurban/rural Indigenous Communities in
British Columbia (Poster #59)
Authors & Affiliations:
Viviane Josewski (Presenter)1
Donna Kurtz2
Arlene Vrtar-Huot2
Rosanna McGregor3
Mary Cutts3
Edna Terbasket4
Carol Camille5
Karmin Manning5
Jackie-Ellen Watson6
Nikki McCrimmon6
Haley Cundy6

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Brookelyn Koersen2
Terri Aldred7
Clayton Reynolds
Susi Wilkinson8
Charlotte A. Jones2
1

University of Northern British Columbia
University of British Columbia Okanagan(UBCO)
3
Cariboo Friendship Society
4
Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society
5
Lillooet Friendship Centre Society
6
Métis Community Services Society of BC
7First Nations Health Authority
8
Interior Health Authority
2

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
Objectives: To improve access toculturally-safe and relevant diabetes
and/or weight management care andrelated health outcomes, five urban/rural
BC Interior Friendship and Métis Center
communities together with one healthauthority and university aimed to cocreate, implement, and evaluate: (1) adiabetes and weight management
workshop for healthcare providers; (2) aculturally-safe telediabetes/weight
management service and (3) animplementation toolkit.
Methods: Guided by Two-Eyed Seeing andIndigenous Community-based
Participatory Methodologies, the research
was conducted with and by Indigenous
community leaders, Community Research
Liaisons, Elders, Knowledge Keepers,
Traditional Healers and community
members. Information was gathered andshared through participant Talking Circles,
post-clinic surveys, provider interviews,
Community Advisory Teams, and,Community Gatherings. Analysis entailed
descriptive statistcis and Indigenous-

informed consensus-based approaches tothematic analysis.
Results: 10 providers completed acollaboratively-developed UBC-accredited
diabetes and weight management
training. All 7 respondents rated theworkshops as above average or excellent.
After six months all 6 respondents
continued using this knowledge. 3
communities implemented telediabetes
clinics serving 17 (14 female) participants
over 36 appointments. Telehealthparticipants reported improved care andhealth ouctomes, including feeling safe toshare, being heard and listened to byproviders. Additional themes revealed theimpotance of weight management, andneed for Traditional healing and mental
wellness supports. Additionally, acommunity-owned resource was codeveloped, which stories communities’
journey towards delivering culturally-safe
tele-diabetes and weight managment
clinics, as a how-to-guide for othercommunities.
Conclusions: Indigenous-led communitybased telehealth clinics can provide
improved access to culturally-safe andrelevant diabetes/obesity care for Urban
Indigenous Peoples.
Acquisition and Use of Assistive
Technology from the Perspectives ofOlder Adults With Multiple Sclerosis
Living in Ontario (Poster #60)
Authors & Affiliations:Alexandra Jackson (Presenter)
Marcia Finlayson
William C. Miller
Michelle Ploughman
Queen’s University

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: As part of a larger study on
assistive technology (AT) acquisition, we
gathered the AT-related experiences ofolder adults with MS living in Ontario,
including acquisition processes, financial
issues, usefulness for engaging in daily
activities, and aging-in-place.
Methods: Photovoice plus two 60-minute,in-person, semi-structured interviews
were used to gather data. Participants (n=12) were instructed to take photographsof their AT between the two interviews.
Photograph meaning and content drove
the second interview discussion.
Results: Preliminary data analysis
suggested that older adults with MS canage-in-place and had varying AT
experiences. Participants generally feltthat the AT they owned and usedmatched and supported their needs forengagement in daily activities.
Participants varied in need for and use offinancial aid to acquire AT, with mostbeing privately purchased. Participants’financial restrictions or ineligibility forfunding contributed to inability to acquireneeded AT. Healthcare providers (OT, PT,neurologist) and non-medical caregivers
assisted in accessing AT, with some being
acquired second-hand. Photovoice data
included photographs of equipment andadaptations to support mobility, self-care,and home management.
Conclusions: Preliminary conclusions
suggest that older adults with MS can agein-place in their homes and communities
with the assistance of AT that matches
and supports their needs for engagement
in daily activities. There is, however, aneed to follow-up with AT providers (OT,
PT, retailers) and for a review of funding

programs and insurance policies, todetermine the gaps in the AT acquisition
process for older adults with MS living in
Ontario.
Streamlining Frailty Assessment Using a
Fully Guided Smartphone/tablet
Application: Validation of the Fit-Frailty
App in a Geriatric Clinic (Poster #61)
Authors & Affiliations:
Aastha Relan (Presenter)1,2
Courtney Kennedy1,2Pauline Fisher1,2
Sigrid Vinson2
George Ioannidis1,2
Jonathan D. Adachi1,2Kenneth Rockwood3
Tricia Woo1,2
Alexandra Papaioannou1,21McMaster University
Geras Centre for Aging Research,
Hamilton Health Sciences
3
Dalhousie University
2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Background: The Fit-Frailty App is acomprehensive measure of frailty utilizing
fully guided, interactive
smartphone/tablet technology. It was
designed to be easily completed witholder adults in clinical/research settings in~15 minutes. Scoring is based on the wellvalidated Rockwood Frailty Index method
and considers disease-related, physical,
cognitive, mood, psychosocial, nutritional,
and functional aspects. The full
assessment includes interactive cognitive
screening and physical performancemeasures.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Objective: To conduct a validation studyof the Fit-Frailty App in older adults
attending a geriatric clinic.
Methods: A convenience sample of 75
patients over age 65 attending a geriatricclinic in Hamilton, ON were recruited
between Feb-Dec 2021. A clinic nurse
administered the App with the patient
during their clinic appointment. A paperbased tool collecting similar items fromthe clinician’s comprehensive geriatricexam (FI-CGA) was used as a comparator.
To examine concurrent validity (i.e.,agreement between App and FI-CGA),
intraclass and Pearson correlation
coefficients, and 95% confidence intervals
were calculated (SAS version 9.4). Results:
The sample was 53% female, mean age
79.2 (SD=7.03) and SMMSE 23.8
(SD=5.52). The mean App and FI-CGA
scores (on a continuum of severity from 01) were 0.33 (SD=0.13), and 0.28
(SD=0.11) respectively, indicating frailty.
The App presented comparable results(moderate to good validity; ICC=0.65,
95%CI=0.50-0.76) when compared to FICGA and there was strong association
between the two measures (r=0.74,
95%CI=0.62-0.83).
Conclusions: The Fit-Frailty App was avalid measure of frailty in older adults
attending a geriatric clinic. Appassessment can assist healthcare teams indeveloping treatment plans andmeasuring change.
Real-time Recognition of Lower Limb
Rehabilitation Exercises Using 3D Neural
Networks (Poster #62)
Authors & Affiliations:
Alireza Ettefagh (Presenter)1,2
Atena Roshan Fekr1,2

1

KITE Research Institute, Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute - University Health
Network2
Institute of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives:
The main objective of this study is to
propose a novel deep learning model toautomatically identify different lower-limb
rehabilitation exercises. This will facilitate
real-time exercise monitoring for telerehabilitation platforms to be used athome.
Methods:
The dataset published by Wijekoon et al.
was used in this study. This dataset
consisted of depth and pressure video
data from 30 healthy participants while
performing 7 different lower-limb
rehabilitation exercises. Each exercise was
performed for up to 60 seconds. Depth
videos had a resolution of 16x12, zeropadded to 16x16 pixels. Pressure videos
were in 32x16, zero-padded to 32x32.
Both data were recorded at 15Hz. Eachvideo file was divided into 5-second
segments with a 3-second overlap. A pretrained 3D Convolutional Neural Network(CNN) model was used to identify thetypes of exercises.
Results:
The models were validated based on
Leave Multiple Subjects Out (LMSO) crossvalidation with 6 groups of 5 subjects. The
proposed 3D-CNN achieved an F1-Score of
91.82% and 75.35% in identifying
exercises using depth and pressure data,
respectively.
Conclusion:

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
According to the results, the proposedmodel outperforms the previously
proposed 1D- and 2D-CNN models by
Wijekoon et al. These models use selected
depth and pressure frames as the input,
whereas the 3D-CNN can analyze data inboth spatial and temporal dimensions.
Results suggest that the integration of thismethod into tele-rehabilitation platforms
could be effective since it is capable ofmonitoring exercises in real time with highaccuracy.
Accessible Spaces in All the Right Places:
Understanding Employers’ Perspectives
on Workers with Mild Cognitive
Impairment or Dementia (MCI|EOD)(Poster #63)
Authors & Affiliations:
Ashley Cole (Presenter)1,2
Sabah Rasheed1,2
AnneMarie Levy3
Kristina Kokorelias4
Jennifer Boger5
Catherine Burns5
Arlene Astell1
Josephine McMurray3
1

Toronto Rehab Institute, University
Health Network
2
University of Toronto
3
Wilfrid Laurier University
4
Sinai Health5
University of Waterloo
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives: The study aims to address the
anticipated increase in employees
identified with mild cognitive impairment
or dementia (MCI|DEM) in an aging
workforce. Despite this trend, minimal
research explores the impact of thesedisabilities on operations, productivity,and necessary accommodations by
employers.
Methods: Instrumental case studies wereconducted with two Canadian employers(E1 and E2) to 1) Understand employers’
perspectives on workers with MCI|DEM,
2) Identify organizational factors andexternalities influencing accommodation,and 3) Assessing technology use foraccommodating these workers. Eligible
employees familiar with theirorganization’s corporate culture andoperations completed a demographic
survey and an in-depth, semi-structured
interview (~60-minutes). Thematic
analysis using both inductive anddeductive techniques informed by
Sociotechnical Systems Theory was
employed for qualitative data analysis.
Results: E1 (N=56), federally regulatedwith over 40,000 employees, and E2(N=31), provincially regulated with over
100,000 employees were studied. Bothorganizations employ workers acrossCanada. Analysis of 87 interviews revealedcommon themes such as corporate risk,
technology and resource limitations,awareness training, stigma, trust, anddisclosure. These factors influenced
employer’s readiness to support workers
with MCI|DEM. Type of industry, policy
environment, legal precedent andtechnology innovation also shapepriorities.
Conclusions: The study underscores theimportance of workplace preparedness
for an aging workforce and theimportance of proactive measures toaccommodate workers with MCI|DEM
who wish to remain productive in theworkforce.
Preliminary findings for a scoping review
of reviews on assistive technology toAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
support dementia management (Poster#64)

research gaps on AT to support dementia
management.

Authors & Affiliations:
Chaitali Desai (Presenter)1
Erica Dove1
Jarshini Nanthakumar
Emilia Main
Heather Colquhoun
Arlene Astell2
Alex Mihailidis1,2Natasha Layton
Amer M. Burhan
Brian Chan
Rosalie H. Wang1

Methods: Our review will follow the
Joanna Briggs Institute's methodologicalframework for conducting scoping
reviews. Six electronic databases weresearched from inception to July 2023.
Three reviewers will independently screen
citations at the title and abstract level,
followed by full-text screening. Results
will be charted, collated, and summarizedin tabular and narrative format. The
authors and project advisory committee,
which include PLWD, care partners,
researchers, and representatives ofpartner organizations, will contribute toknowledge exchange.

1

University of Toronto
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: Assistive technology (AT) plays
a vital role in dementia management at
home. In Canada, more than 60% of
persons living with dementia (PLWD)
reside in their own homes, and over 25%
rely heavily on their care partners (i.e.,family or friends) for daily activities. PLWD
and their care partners often require
multiple types of AT to maintain dignity
and autonomy. Wheelchairs, medication
reminders, appliance monitors,
wayfinding devices and mobile
applications for navigation assistance may
be considered AT, involving access to the
product and assessment, training,
maintenance and follow-up. AT for
dementia management is rapidly
developing with an abundance of
published literature, which can bechallenging to navigate and extract
valuable insights. Our scoping review aims
to synthesize review-level evidence, map
AT types and characteristics, and identify

Results: A total of 10,978 unique citations
were identified. The following data will be
extracted: (1) article characteristics andinformation, (2) Types of AT products,
services, and characteristics (3) setting
and population characteristics, and (4)challenges and strategies for
implementation, adoption, andengagement with AT. We plan tocomplete our review by July 2024.
Conclusions: Our review will provide acomprehensive documentation of AT for
dementia management. The mapping of
AT types and characteristics will allow for
navigation and extraction of valuable
insights for policymaking and personal
decision making.
Impact of Dementia TV videos, Tailoredfor People Living with Moderate to
Severe Dementia in Care Settings (Poster#65)
Authors & Affiliations:
Diane Pan (Presenter)
Carly Wang

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Annette Berndt
Lily Ren
Lily Wong
Karen Wong
Lillian Hung
University of British Columbia
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives This study evaluated how
smart TV videos tailored for people withmoderate to severe dementia can support
the psychosocial needs of this populationin care settings.
Method: Zinnia TV videos (tailored for
dementia care) were implemented at two
care sites, a long-term care home and an
in-patient geriatric unit. We used the
Kitwood model of psychosocial needs(comfort, attachment, inclusion,
occupation, and identity) as our study’s
guiding framework to inform datacollection and analysis. We conductedaudio interviews with seven family
members and 18 interdisciplinary staff,
and video interviews with 16 residents
engaging with the TV videos. We asked
interviewees whether the videos broughtchanges to residents/them, and if so,
what the changes were. We performed athematic analysis using a mix of inductive
and deductive approaches. Results We
found the TV videos supported thepsychosocial needs of patients andresidents, creating a calming and relaxing
atmosphere, initiating authentic
engagement between staff andresidents/patients, allowing staff andresidents to become more familiar with
one another as individuals, allowing
residents to build relationships withanother in group settings, keeping
residents engaged, and promoting
inclusion of residents living with diverse

cognitive abilities. To summarize, we
found that the videos addressed thepsychosocial needs of a highly
marginalized population.
Conclusions The videos were found tohave a positive impact on the psychosocial
needs of residents with moderate tosevere dementia in care settings. Future
research should further explore
innovative strategies to overcome
implementation barriers of dementia TV
in care settings.
A Systematic Review of Voice Payment
Systems for Users with Cognitive
Disabilities: Usability, Accessibility, andDesign Recommendations (Poster #66)
Authors & Affiliations:
Fatoumata Bah (Presenter)
Danika Lévesque
Munazza Tahir
Virginie Cobigo
University of Ottawa
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Persons with cognitive
disabilities use Information andcommunication technologies (ICT) for
their mainstream use, but also as assistive
tools for daily living, including for
facilitating health and time management,or social interactions. It’s reported thatpeople with cognitive disabilities,
particularly intellectual disability, prefer
the use of voice interfaces over typing
when engaging with information andcommunication technology (ICT).
However, this preference raises data
privacy and security risks, especially forsensitive banking information. This paper
presents findings from a scientific

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
literature review on user preferences andchallenges associated with conversational
interfaces for users with cognitive
disabilities. It also provides technicaldesign recommendations forconversational interfaces, in general andin relation to voice payment systems.
Methods: A search strategy wasdeveloped for a critical review of evidence
in the area of voice payment systems andcognitive accessibility. Databases wereselected to reflect a multidisciplinary
approach (e.g., computer engineering,cognitive psychology, human-computerinteractions). Articles were screened
according to a set of inclusion criteria anddata was extracted based on the following
themes: user’s journey; cognitive
accessibility barriers; technical aspects.
Results: We classified identified barriers
and important considerations for thecognitive accessibility of voice payment
systems into the following themes:
Language and speech recognition,complexity and problem-solving, access totraining and support, impact of external
factors on voice recognition and security
and privacy.
Conclusions: Persons with cognitive
disabilities often report barriers toaccessibility for conversational interfaces
and voice-activated intelligent personal
assistants. Despite potential barriers,
persons with cognitive disabilities
expressed basic interest and motivation touse novel technical solutions.
Estimation of Outdoor Street Crossings
Safety and Usability for Pedestrians Using
YOLOv7 and DeepSORT Algorithms(Poster #67)
Authors & Affiliations:Jakson Paterson (Presenter)1,2
Hamed Ghomashchi1

Zeyad Ghulam1
Alison Novak1,3
Tilak Dutta1,2,3
1

KITE - Toronto Rehabilitation Institute –University Health Network,
2
Institute of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto,
3
Rehabilitation Sciences Institute,
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Abstract: Pedestrians (including wheeledmobility device users) can face safety andusability challenges at street crossings
because of the inherent risks associatedwith environmental conditions and byinteractions with other road users (e.g.,
bicycles, vehicles). Each of these external
factors have both physical andpsychological influences on the perceived
safety and risk of fall and injury, which canbe heightened for individuals withmobility limitations. As a result, manyolder adults and persons with disabilities
choose to reduce their outdoor activity
levels and become more isolated in theirhomes, restricting their daily mobility, andpotentially triggering a downward spiral of
deconditioning, frailty, and physicaldecline. To date, pedestrian usability
challenges at street crossings have been
primarily understood through manual
observational methods, which would beconsiderably improved by using more
empirical analyses. The objective of thisproject is to automate the assessment ofpedestrian behaviour at street crossings inurban environments to help understandthe challenges faced by pedestrians,
particularly individuals with the greatest
safety or usability concerns. Computer
vision approaches including YOLOv7 and
DeepSORT will be used automate thedetection and measurement of pedestrian

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
walking speed and trajectory, as well as
the classification of conflicts between
pedestrians and other road users. The
preliminary results of this project show
potential to provide new automatedobservation tools for evaluating the safety
and usability of street crossings so thatthe complex relationship between
pedestrians and the built environment canbe better understood and limitations incurrent infrastructure design and/or
maintenance can be addressed to makesafer and more accessible for all
individuals.
GARDEN Framework for RehabilitationGame Design: Interdisciplinary
Refinement for Framework
Implementation (Poster #68)
Authors & Affiliations:
Gordon Tao (Presenter)1,2
Julie M Robillard3,4
Edward M Giesbrecht5
Olive Bryanton6
Darryl Caves7
Jason Lee Elliott8
Bill McCracken9William C Miller1,2
1

Department of Occupational Science andOccupational Therapy, Faculty of
Medicine, University of British Columbia
2
Centre for Aging SMART, GF Strong
Rehabilitation Research Program,
Vancouver Coastal Health ResearchInstitute
3
Division of Neurology, Department ofMedicine, The University of British
Columbia
4
BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital
5
Department of Occupational Therapy,
College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of
Manitoba

6

Health Research Network, University of
Prince Edward Island
7
Vancouver Coastal Health8Centre for Digital Media
9
Nanaimo Brain Injury Society
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: To support design of
rehabilitation games for older adults asboth effective therapy and compelling
experience, co-creation of the GAmes for
Rehabilitation DEsign Nexus (GARDEN)
Framework conceptually integrates thesegoals. This study refines the initialframework using a diverse group of
experts.
Methods: A 3-round modified online
Delphi process incorporated rehabilitation
experts (n=11), game developers (n=8),
and end-users who play games for health(n = 14). Participants reviewed theframework conceptual diagram, text andvideo explaining each component, andfeedback and revision summaries. In eachround, participants rated the framework
on representativeness, logical consistency,
comprehensibility, and conciseness using
5-point Likert scales. Additional openended items gathered explanations andsuggestions. Likert responses werecollated, with no further revision needed
when components achieved consensus (≥80% neutral/agree/strongly agree).
Content analysis of open comments
informed framework revisions between
rounds.
Results: The consensus process produced
a finalized GARDEN Framework including
four design layers (end-user, rehabilitation
game structure, dynamic interaction
incorporating therapeutic activity, andemotional experience) and three
relational components (end-user

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookalignment, interface, and motivation).
Content analyses identified limitations in
representation and logical consistency ofrelational components. Relational
components of the conceptual diagram
were revised to be more explicit and clear.
Textual documents were revised withmore thorough examples. Additional
concepts were included to improve
representativeness.

adults, the context of the culture, andtheir expectations and concerns.
Therefore, it is interesting to investigate
the device's usability to know to what
extent the technology can be used by
specific users and in a particular context.

Conclusions: The finalized GARDEN
Framework is ready for application as
both a design tool, for integrating
rehabilitation and game design
perspectives among interdisciplinary
development teams, and an evaluation
tool for measurement and reporting inrehabilitation games research. Future
work will explore development of acommunity of practice around theframework. Framework documents will befurther developed into toolkits forknowledge mobilization. Lessons learned
from future framework application may
reveal opportunities for further
improvements.

Method: In this qualitative study, we
recruited 30 aging-in-place older adults
between the ages of 65 and 85, having thesame ratio of women to men. Eachparticipant downloaded the “MeCuido”
telecare application on their mobile
phone and was invited to carry out preset
usability tasks of the App for 60 minutes.
The participants participated in an
individual interview when the usability
tasks were finished. The interviews wererecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using
the NVivo 11.0 Pro software.

Factors That Influence the Usability of
the Telecare App for Older Adults who
are Aging in Place (Poster #69)
Authors & Affiliations:
Cristina Perdomo Delgado (Presenter)1,2
1
2

Department of Occupational Therapy
University of Manitoba

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Introduction: Access to telecaretechnologies is vital to guaranteeing aging
in place with safety and quality of life. It isa fundamental requirement that telecaretechnologies adapt to the needs of older

Objective: Determine what factors
influence the usability of the telecare App
for older adults who age in the place.

Results: Three generic categories that
influence the usability of the telecare App
by older adults who age in the place wereidentified: Personal characteristics of theolder adults: economic situation,
educational level, functional difficulties
such as limitation in fine motor skills andlow vision. ; Emotional aspects of older
adults: motivation and initiative to use,
perceived usefulness and emotion of use;
App design features: Importance of fontsize and color in the App, Appterminology, Help messages, and App
system security.
Conclusions: The results of this study canhelp health professionals and technology
designers to understand the expectations
and factors that influence the usability ofolder adults with telecare Apps. Usability
studies are crucial to determine theAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
acceptability of technology for older
adults.
Perceptions of a Community Delivered
Stroke Intervention Using a Smart Mirror(Poster #70)
Authors & Affiliations:Isabelle Rash (Presenter)
Miller, W C
Mortenson, W B
Tang, Ada
Sakakibara, B M
University of British Columbia
McMaster University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: The effectiveness of virtual
rehabilitation may be limited due tosuboptimal delivery using existing
technologies, such as small screen sizes,
limited camera view, and a limited feelingof presence in the environment. A smart
mirror is a two-way mirror with an inbuilt
display behind the glass and may
potentially improve virtual rehabilitation
experiences. In this study, we: 1. Assessthe unmet needs of virtual rehabilitationin older adults with stroke afterparticipating in existing virtual
rehabilitation and 2. Examine how unmet
needs might be addressed using a smart
mirror.
Method: This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with 15 participants
who previously experienced virtual
rehabilitation and 9 Physical Therapists
who delivered virtual rehabilitation.
Results: Our analyses identified three
categories: 1) challenges and desires forvirtual rehabilitation, 2) feedback on acurrent virtual rehabilitation intervention,and 3) expectations and concerns for asmart mirror. A smart mirror is perceived
to combat challenges with current
hardware, offer more flexibility to address
personal health goals, and be moreengaging. The usability and affordability ofa smart mirror for older adults post-stroke
are perceived as potential challenges.
Conclusion: Services will benefit from thisproject by gaining valuable newknowledge about a smart mirror and its
potential benefits to the health system(e.g., as virtual rehabilitation hardware).
Exploring the Association Between
Driving Space, Age, and PreclinicalAlzheimer's Disease in Cognitively
Normal Older Adults (Poster #71)
Authors & Affiliations:
Kelly Long (Presenter)
Ganesh Babulal
Sayeh Bayat
University of Calgary
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives: Driving is one of the mostcommon forms of transportation andmobility in older adults and has beenshown to differ between individuals withand without biological markers of
preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). This
study specifically aimed to investigate theassociation between driving space andage in cognitively normal older adults withand without preclinical AD.
Methods: As part of a longitudinal study
on driving and preclinical AD at
Washington University School of
Medicine, temporospatial driving

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
behaviours were collected from 20152020 from 150 cognitively normal older
adults aged over 65. Amyloid biomarkers
derived from cerebral spinal fluid wereused to identify early biological changes
associated with AD. The home location ofeach participant was estimated as themost-visited location, and the maximum
distance driven from home wasmeasured. An analysis of covariancemodel was used to explore therelationship between driving space andage for individuals with and without
preclinical AD. Results: The analysis
revealed a significant decline in the
maximum distance travelled from homewith increasing age for participants withearly signs of AD compared to participants
without preclinical AD.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate thatcognitively normal older adults displaying
early signs of AD experience reduced
mobility and driving space as they age.
Identifying these differences in driving
behaviours can assist in identifying at-risk
individuals and contribute to a better
understanding of how preclinical AD
impacts behaviours on the roads. These
insights can play a crucial role inenhancing road safety and developing
appropriate measures to support older
adults with preclinical AD in maintaining
safe mobility.
Cloud Native Remote Monitoring Data
Ecosystem for Aging Population based on
Commercial AAL Sensors (Poster #72)
Authors & Affiliations:
Kang Wang (Presenter)
University of Waterloo
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET

In the recent years, Active Assisted Living(AAL) technologies used for autonomous
tracking and activity recognition havestarted to play major roles in geriatriccare. From fall detection to remotely
monitoring behavioral patterns, vitalfunctions and collection of air quality
data, AAL has become pervasive in themodern era of independent living for theelderly section of the population.
However, even with the current rate ofprogress, data access and data reliability
has become a major hurdle especiallywhen such data is intended to be used in
new age modelling approaches such as
those using machine learning. This poster
presents a comprehensive data ecosystemcomprising remote monitoring AAL
sensors along with extensive focus on
cloud-native system architecture, secured
and confidential access to data with easy
data sharing. Results from a validation
study illustrate the feasibility of using thissystem for remote healthcare
surveillance. The proposed system shows
great promise in multiple fields fromvarious AAL studies to development ofdata driven policies by local governments
in promoting healthy lifestyles for theelderly alongside a common datarepository that can be beneficial to otherresearch communities worldwide.
In Bed Body Posture Monitoring for
Pressure Injury Prevention Among
Seniors with Frailty: A Pilot Study (Poster#73)
Authors & Affiliations:
Lindsay Stern (Presenter)1,2
Athena Roshan Fekr1,2
1

KITE Research Institute - Toronto
Rehabilitation InstituteAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
2

Institute of Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
The prevalence of Pressure Injuries (PIs) ishighest among seniors with frailty due tofactors such as muscle loss, fatigue, andreduced physical activity, leading to a
decline in their ability to preserve tissue
integrity. The most common method forpreventing PIs is to redistribute the bodypressure through frequent repositioning.
The primary objective of this project is topresent an innovative solution for
remotely monitoring seniors' body
positions in bed. This system can notify
the care partner/care givers to reposition
the body only if required. This will help tominimize sleep disruption and will also
decrease the workload of the careproviders. Data from 10 participants wascollected using a pressure mat in fourcommon in bed body postures – supine,
prone, right-side, and left-side. The
pressure data was utilized to train a
Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for
classifying the four postures. The study
compared the results of participants using
a pillow and blanket with those ofparticipants lying down on an empty bed.
Using a leave-one-subject-out crossvalidation technique, we achieved an
accuracy of 88.87% ± 12.80% and 89.88%± 13.47% with and without a pillow andblanket, respectively. The results showedthat the addition of common sleeping
devices, such as pillows and blankets, did
not have significant impact on the body
posture classification performance. Thisalgorithm can provide a basis todetermine how long the senior is lying in
one position and prompt family members
or caregivers to repositions them toprevent the possibility of PI development.

The Experiences and Challenges of Family
Caregivers Using Telepresence Robot
with Residents with Dementia at LongTerm Care Homes (Poster #74)
Authors & Affiliations:
Lily Haopu Ren (Presenter)
Lillian Hung
Jim MannGrace Hu
Joey Wong
Jason Fu
Joelle Rivera
Karen Wong
Erika YoungCharlie Lake
Sarah Kleiss
Ruth Khong
Nazia Ahmad
Ali Hussein
Annette Berndt
Lily Wong
Lynn Jackson
Mario Gregorio
Rekesh Corepal
University of British Columbia
Innovation in Dementia and Aging Lab
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Family caregivers of residents withdementia living at Long-term care (LTC)
homes face multiple challenges, includingrole transition, mental health (e.g. anxiety
and burnout) and competing
commitments (e.g. work and social life).
There are growing research focus on
families using technology to navigate theircare delivery. However, limited studies
explored the positive experiences andchallenges of family caregivers using
telepresence robot affected in their online
communication with residents withdementia living in LTC homes. Our study

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
implemented 20 telepresence robots atfive LTC homes in BC. The team conducted
observation and semi-structured
interviews with family caregivers, staff
and operation leaders. Thematic analysis
was performed and four themes wereidentified: The telepresence robot helpsto 1) relief the mental burden of family
caregivers; 2) enhance the trust andtransparency in the partnership between
staff and family; 3) uphold the dignity ofresidents in a technology-facilitatedconnection and improve the autonomy infamily relationship; and 4) support family
caregivers to better manage theircompeting commitments and render
more creative and joyous virtual
visitations. Challenges identified are 1)
complexity in the family relationships: therobot has limited impact on solving
existing challenges between family
members; 2) complexity in theenvironment: implementation of robots
requires seamless and ongoingcoordination between the staff, residents
and family caregivers. Our findings further
challenged our assumptions about theview from family caregivers and residents
towards privacy. Future studies should
investigate how telepresence robots
address unmet needs of family caregivers
under various care settings and situations,and how robots enhance the well-being ofresidents with dementia in LTC homes andfamily caregivers.
Human-computer Interactions andCompassionate Healthcare: A Wizard of
Oz Study Using a Self-administered AIassisted Cognitive Assessment (Poster#76)
Authors & Affiliations:
Miini Teng (Presenter)1
Weina Jin2
Dae Woo Hwang1

David Stitt1
Martin Yu1
Cristina Conati1
Giuseppe Carenini1
Tal Jarus1
Thalia Field1
1

University of British Columbia
Simon Fraser University, School ofComputing Science2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) is
increasingly being used in medical
assessments, including those related tocognition. We have previously developed
a platform, CANARY, leveraging machinelearning (ML) mediated analysis of speechand eye movements to classify individuals
with Alzheimer’s disease versus healthy
controls. A remote AI-assisted automatedversion of this assessment, which engages
users in a series of reading and descriptivetasks, has been recently developed. In
determining strategies to maintaincompassionate care while incorporating
automated cognitive assessments forageing individuals, we investigated theexperiences of various stakeholders(patients, caregivers, healthcare
providers) with the remote AI-assisted
CANARY platform.
Method: We used the Wizard of Oz
technique in human-computer interaction
research, a method in which a userinteracts with a simulated AI manned by ahuman who controls the system
responses. Twenty-four participants (6patients, 6 healthy controls, 6 caregivers,and 6 healthcare providers) were assessedat home while the assessor joined
remotely. All participants completed asurvey on their experiences. Sixteen
participants joined focus groups, and theAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
conversations were recorded andtranscribed using thematic analysis.
Results: Due to the small sample size, we
examined effect sizes only. Trust scores
were slightly lower (8.09) compared toCompassion scores (8.72), with strong
effect size. Participants who used thesimulated chatbot during assessmentscored lower on Usability (7.33) thanthose who didn't (9.20), with a strong
effect size. Themes that emerged fromthe focus group discussions included (1)skepticism of the capacity of AI for
genuine empathy, (2) benefits andchallenges of incorporating AI into
cognitive assessments while delivering
compassionate care, and (3) the
importance of striking a balance between
AI-related automation and humaninteraction.
Conclusions: Our study highlights the needfor further exploration of careful design
and implementation of AI in cognitive
assessments while maintaining
compassionate care.
Identifying a Built Environment
Framework and the Effects of Different
Built Environment Measures on Driving
Behaviours of Cognitively Intact Older
Adults (Poster #77)
Authors & Affiliations:
Rayeheh Hafezifar (Presenter)
Ganesh Babulal
Sayeh Bayat
University of Calgary
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Driving is an important factor for
preserving independence as we age, and it

remains the prevailing mode oftransportation among older adults aged
65 or older in North America. Age-relatedchanges can affect driving ability due tocognitive and physical factors. Driving has
multiple dimensions, including
experience, cognitive abilities, physicalhealth, and the built environment inwhich individuals live all of which
influence road safety. In this study, we will
evaluate the extent to which passively
collected driving GPS data along with GIS(Geographic Information System)
methods can enhance the evaluation ofdriving behaviours among older adults.
The specific aims are to (1) develop andvalidate a comprehensive framework to
identify and measure different dimensionsof the built environment and (2)determine the effects of each built
environment measure on older adults’
driving behaviour.
To effectively analyze the driving
behaviour of older adults, we propose acomprehensive set of indicators thatcharacterize different dimensions of thebuilt environment including land use mix,
public transit density, and road network
intersection density. The driving indicators
capturing geospatial aspects of trips
encompass total driving distance, the ratioof trips ending within 1.6 km to the total
number of trips over the study period. To
analyze the data, we employed Gradient
Boosting Machine (GBM). GBM models
were trained for each driving measure.
The relative importance of each built
environment variable was determined,
highlighting their impact on driving
behaviour.
The results indicate that public transit
density is the most influential factor in the
total driving distance model with arelative importance of 0.41, followed byland use mix (0.36). In the ratio of trips
ending within 1.6 km to the total number

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookof trips, public transit density has thehighest relative importance (0.55), andland use mix is the next important feature(0.24) followed by intersection density(0.21).
Older Adults’ Naturalistic Driving
Behaviours: Navigational andManeuvering Driving Patterns (Poster#78)
Authors & Affiliations:
Reihaneh Derafshi (Presenter)1
Brenda Vrkljan2
Sayeh Bayat1
1
2

University of Calgary
McMaster University

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Background: Driving is the primary modeof transportation for older adults,
enabling independence and social
engagement. Personalized driving aids
and assessments tailored to individual
capabilities are essential for maintaining
their overall well-being and road safety
simultaneously.
Objective: This research aims to develop
algorithmic tools to study and analyze thenavigational choices and driving
maneuvers of older adults in real-world
settings using advanced mobile
technologies. The primary objective is tocreate a toolkit that identifies crucial
driving maneuvers for older adults,characterizes various maneuver types,
and analyzes driving patterns. By applying
this framework to a dataset of naturalistic
driving data, the study seeks to uncover
specific driving behaviours that may
challenge older adults and develop

effective strategies to mitigate thesechallenges.
Methods: Data collected over a monthfrom one participant includes a video
dataset with GPS chips, cameras, inertial
sensors, and the Controller Area Network(CAN) bus. Advanced algorithms
employing hashing and clustering
techniques identify the most common
path for the participant, while mapmatching and GPS turn angle analysis
detect occurrences of merges and turns.
Personalized outliers during criticalmaneuvers, such as variations in speed,
accelerometer readings, and wheel
angles, are also taken into account.
Results: Insights extracted from the data
help identify patterns and trends innavigational and maneuvering driving
behaviours, such as variations in route
choices and risk scores while taking themost common path. This enables thedesign of effective interventions and aids
aimed at enhancing the safety of older
drivers.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this researchpresents a comprehensive algorithmic
analysis of older adults' driving behaviours
using cutting-edge technologies. The
developed toolkit provides valuable
insights into challenging driving
behaviours, guiding the formulation oftargeted strategies to improve older
adults' road safety while preserving theirmobility and social engagement.
“Whose Ethics Inform That Code?” An
Analysis of International Social Robotics
Policy in Consultation with the Aging and
Dementia Community (Poster #79)
Authors & Affiliations:
Jill Dosso (Presenter)

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Haiger Ye
Gabriella Guerra
Anna Riminchan
Julie Robillard
University of British Columbia
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Social robots are a promisingassistive technology to support older
adults in home and healthcare
environments. We capture the current
social robotics policy landscape, identify
misalignments between policies and enduser needs, and create evidence-based
policy recommendations for
implementation of social robots for aging.
Method: A content analysis of n = 47
international policies on social robotics
was carried out and findings weresynthesized. Semi-structured interviews
were conducted with lived experience
experts within the dementia and carepartnership community (n = 11) andprofessional experts in the field of aging
and dementia (n = 7) to explore
perspectives on the current state of thesocial robot policy.
Results: Interviewees viewed social robots
as potentially helpful assistive
technologies and agreed with existing
recommendations around needs forrespect for human rights and dignity,
clear, consistent regulation, and public
engagement processes. Participants
recommended that policies prioritize costand accessibility considerations and thatthey center issues of aging and dementia.
They reported that the responsibility forsocial robot policy development should lie
with governments and the healthcare
sector and called for increased

consultation with end-users and medical
professionals.
Conclusions: We identify misalignments
between the priorities of aging anddementia community members and theexisting social robot policy landscape.
Potential harms and challenges toadoption of social robots are considered,including discrimination, bias, anddeception. We discuss recent
developments in artificial intelligence forsocial robotics and makerecommendations based on identified
gaps in policy.
Hearing Aid Accelerometry Can be Used
to Document Clinical Assessment Scores(Poster #80)
Authors & Affiliations:
Will Sloan1
Bruce Wallace1,2,3
Andrea Pepe2
Heidi Sveistrup (Presenter)1,2,3,4Frank Knoefel1,2,3,7
Amy E Mark Fraser6
Matthew Bromwich6,7,8,9
1

Systems & Computer Engineering
Carleton University
2
Bruyère Research Institute
3
AGEWELL NIH: SAM 3
4
Health Sciences, University of Ottawa
5
Elisabeth-Bruyère Hospital
6
SHOEBOX Ltd, Ottawa
7
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa
8
CHEO Research Institute9
Technology and Innovation
Management, Carleton University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Introduction: Measures of physicalperformance and physical activity provide

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
indications of health, functioning andoverall activity. Quantitative clinicalassessments specifically document fall risk
and frailty yet require patients tocomplete face-to-face or virtualassessments. Many aging adults require
hearing aids (HA) and these devices now
include accelerometers that could be used
to document postural transitions andstepping activity.
Methodology: We determined whether
accelerometry data from hearing aids
could be used to document scores on four
clinical assessments: five time sit-to-stand(5xSTS), 2 and 6 minute walk, timed up
and go (TUG). HA results were comparedto scores from clinical evaluations.
Results: Sit-to-stand transitions andstepping behaviour are evident in thevertical accelerometer data for both 5xSTS
and TUG data. Preliminary data show thatstep count results from left and right HAs
are consistent. Additional improvements
to the accelerometer algorithms are being
implemented in order to maximize
accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.
Discussion: Although hearing aids takesome time to get used to, they help users
hear better and feel connected to others.
Using HAs as wearable technologies formobility and function extends their value
to the user. Pedometry assessment
through hearing aid-based accelerometers
is feasible for healthy adults. Further
development of the algorithms will becompleted on datasets from older adults
with mobility impairments.
Determination of an Optimal Cut off
Score for Pain Detection by an
Automated Computer Vision System
Designed to Monitor Pain Behaviour inOlder Adults with and without Dementia(Poster #81)
Authors & Affiliations:
Rhonda Stopyn (Presenter)1
Abhishek Moturu2,3
Babak Taati2,3Thomas Hadjistavropoulos1
1

University of Regina
University of Toronto
3
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Regular use of standardized observational
tools utilizing nonverbal behaviours in
pain assessments result in improved pain
care for older adults with severe dementia
and limited ability to communicate. Whilefrequent monitoring of pain behaviours inlong-term care is constrained by resource
limitations, computer vision technology
has the potential to mitigate thesechallenges. An algorithm designed toassess facial pain expressions in older
adults with and without dementia wasrecently developed and validated against
videos of older adults displaying pain
(Rezaei et al., 2021). We conducted thefirst live and real-time evaluation of thealgorithm in the laboratory with a sample
of community-dwelling older adults. Threesafely-administered thermal pain tasks
were completed while a computerized
system, that incorporated the algorithm,
automatically processed facial pain
activity. Pain detection occurred whensystem generated pain scores based on
facial pain activity exceeded apredetermined threshold score based onprior analysis. Our aim was to determine
an optimal threshold score in identifying
pain. Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC) curves were used to establish thepain threshold score. Gender differences

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
were explored. Results for various cut offs
will be presented. While average painscores remained homogenous between
genders, results from ROC curve analyses
suggest that the system achieved agreater area under the curve (AUC) value
for women compared to men when
examining potential pain threshold scores,suggesting that the algorithm performs
better at discriminating pain from nonpain for women. These findings will be
used to further refine the system prior tofield testing in long-term care.
Integrating Daily Rituals into the Designof Assistive Technologies for People with
Dementia – A Scoping Review (Poster#82)
Authors & Affiliations:
Rupsha Mutsuddi (Presenter)1
Melanie Baljko2
Shital Desai11York University
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
The study presents the findings of a
scoping review that aims to investigate
the role of integrating daily rituals into
assistive prompting technologies forpeople living with dementia (PwD). The
scoping review involved a systematic
search of electronic databases whichyielded 19 articles. Thematic analysis wasused to find recurring patterns andthemes across the literature. Three main
themes emerged from the analysis. First,
multimodal, personalized, and contextspecific prompts which are tailored to theunique needs, preferences, and abilities of
PwD improve engagement, autonomy,

and independence. This is especially true
when these prompts also integrate
cultural, personal, and social aspects ofdaily rituals. Second, when components ofdaily rituals like routines and habits aresupported by assistive technologies, itcreates familiarity, structure, and a senseof continuity. This has a positive impact onemotional wellbeing and in some cases,
improves cognitive functioning. Lastly,
daily rituals facilitate the development ofrelationships between PwD and theircaregivers as well as their environment.
This promotes a sense of belonging andleads a more supportive careenvironment. The integration of daily
rituals also leads to better habituation andadoption of assistive prompting
technologies. Insights from this review are
helpful for considering how daily rituals
can be integrated in the design of assistive
technologies for people with dementia.
Promoting Engagement in Social Robot
Research: Lessons from the DISRUPT
Workshops (Poster #83)
Authors & Affiliations:
Susanna Martin (Presenter)1,2
Cindy Zhang1,2
Mallorie Tam1,2
Julie Robillard1,2
Ian Goldman3
1

BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital
University of British Columbia
3
The League, NEST Lab Older Adult
Advisory Group2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives: Developing technologies tosupport healthy aging requires effective
engagement with end-users. In social
robot (SR) research, engaging with experts

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookby discipline and/or life experience iscritical to ensure outcomes are personcentered and meaningful. The present
case study for research engagement
outlines the opportunities, challenges,
and successes of using collaborative
workshops in the AGE-WELL DISRUPT
project.
Method: We conducted 3 brainstorming
workshops with 15 participants
representing academia, industry,healthcare, and an older adult advisorygroup. Activities included presentations,facilitated discussions, and unstructured
robot interactions, followed by anasynchronous post-workshop review
activity.
Results: Presentations showcased
academic and industry research, and theadvisory group chair delivered a powerfulpresentation of real-world SR use, andreflections on experiences as a research
partner. In-person interactions with SRs
offered tangible experiences of SR
functionalities in individual and social
contexts. Hybrid activities provided
diverse opportunities for engagementwith all participants, and complemented
knowledge exchange. Trainees maximised
opportunities to hear from experts andlearn about end-user centered research.
Challenges included resource allocation,
availability and time commitment, andlocation. The need to measure andevaluate the impact of SRs for older adults
in real-world settings emerged as a theme
for future research.
Conclusions: Workshops are an effective
method for engagement in SR researchand honour the core ethical principles ofparticipation: mutual respect, equitableparticipation, reciprocity, and integrity(CIHR, 2020). Activities facilitatereflection, knowledge sharing,

relationship building, and forward
planning. Future activities within the
DISRUPT suite of projects will build on thecollaborative ties and the thematic
outcomes established during theworkshops.
Indicators of Successful Implementationof Digital Technologies for Older Adults(Poster #84)
Authors & Affiliations:Jeffrey Jutai (Presenter)
University of Ottawa
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
The critical importance of technologicalinnovation in home care for older adults is
indisputable. Less well understood is thequestion of how to measure its
performance and impact on the deliveryof health care to older adults who areliving with chronic illness and disability.
Knowing how well digital technologies,
such as smartphones, tablets, wearable
devices, and Ambient Assisted Living
Technologies (AAL) systems “work” should
certainly include assessing their impact onolder adults’ health and ability to function
in daily living but that will not guaranteethat it will necessarily be adopted by theuser or implemented by a healthcare
facility or the healthcare system.
Technology implementation is a processof planned and guided activities to launch,
introduce and support technologies in acertain context to innovate or improvehealthcare, which delivers the evidence
for adoption and upscaling a technology inhealthcare practices. Factors in addition
to user acceptance and clinicaleffectiveness require investigation. Failure
to appreciate these factors can result in

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
increased likelihood of technology
rejection or protracted procurement
decision at the ‘adoption decision’ stage
or delayed or incomplete implementation
or discontinuance (following initialadoption) during implementation. The aimof our research to analyze the researchavailable to address the question, “Whatare the indicators of successful
implementation of digital technologies forolder adults?” We reviewed studies of theeffectiveness of these technologies andexamined the relevance of their findings
for successful implementation inappropriate settings. In our analysis, we
looked for evidence that researchersconsidered well-documented
implementation factors in their studies.
We found common problems with theconceptualization, design, andmethodology in studies of digitaltechnology that have contributed to theslow pace of implementation in homecare and long-term care. We propose aframework for improving the quality of
research in this critical area.
In-Home Classification of In-Home
Activities with Ultra-Wideband
Localization (Poster #85)
Authors & Affiliations:
Andrew Chan (Presenter)1
Tod Vandenberg1
Hayden Gowing2
Steven Phan2
Geoff Gregson2
Adriana Rios Rincon2
Michael Lipsett2
1
2

Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital
University of Alberta

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET

Introduction: Monitoring and classifying
ADLs in the home can aid with detecting
physical and cognitive decline in older
adults. Currently, in-home monitoring
devices lack the resolution and real-time
feedback to provide information on
functional activities in the home. This
research aims to develop machinelearning models to identify in-homeactivities from position data from a wrist
worn ultra-wide band (UWB) localization
system combined with inertia
measurement unit (IMU) data.
Methods: A UWB localization system wasinstalled in a simulated condo at the
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Position
and acceleration data was collected froma young healthy 21-year old maleparticipant. Seven different activities werecompleted including walking, resting,transfers, eating, mopping, wiping anddoing dishes. Data was used as training
and testing data to develop machinelearning models including linear andpolynomial support vector machines(SVM), random forests, decision-trees andK-nearest neighbor models. Features weredeveloped from the data over a 1-4
second time compared with a video
recording as the gold standard. The fivemachine learning models were tested todetermine the which method yielded thehighest classification accuracy.
Results: The model with the highest
accuracy was a linear support vector
machine with a 3-second window at
96.4%. The most successful classifications
were eating and dishwasher usage (100%and 99.7% respectively) while transfersfrom sit-to-stand or stand-to-sit andmopping were least successful (65.6% and94.6% respectively). Transfers had lower
classification accuracy likely due to theshort duration of each transfer.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Conclusions: A machine learning model
successfully used UWB and IMU data toclassify activities for one participant. Next
stages of this project include expanding
the number of activities and evaluating
the device on a larger range ofparticipants, specifically with older adults.
Wearable Bioelectronic Balance
Restoration in Older Adults (Poster #86)
Authors & Affiliations:John Ralston (Presenter)1
Jordan King2
Ryan Peters2
1

Neursantys, Inc.,
University of Calgary Human
Performance Lab
2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Although many factors
influence balance decline in older adults, aprimary contributor is age-relatedchanges in the vestibular balance system,
which trigger accompanying dysfunction
and adaptive plasticity in sensory, motor,
and cognitive performance. This poster
will present results from successful pilot
deployments of NEURVESTA, the firstwearable bioelectronic device thatprovides both quantitative assessments
and neuroplastic restoration of degradedbalance.
Methods: Pilot deployments were carriedout at the University of Calgary Human
Performance Lab and 2 residential seniorliving organizations in Calgary. Fifty adults
aged 50-90 with no clinically diagnosed
balance impairments were recruited andrandomly assigned to therapeuticstimulation and sham stimulation groups.
Both groups received three 20-minutestimulation sessions per week over a 6week period, underwent instrumented
balance, gait, and fall-risk assessments
before and after each session, andcompleted ambulatory confidence andphysical activity questionnaires before
and after the 6-week intervention. The
therapeutic treatment utilized low level
electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS), a
safe and well-tolerated form of noninvasive transcranial electric stimulationthat has previously been investigated tomitigate the “accelerated balance aging“
suffered by astronauts exposed tomicrogravity. The NEURVESTA device uses
a proprietary wideband stochastic EVS
stimulus developed in a collaboration
between Neursantys, Inc. and the
University of Calgary Human Performance
Lab with funding from Mitacs and theCanadian Space Agency.
Results/Conclusions: No significant
changes were observed in the shamstimulation group. The therapeuticstimulation group demonstrated
significant enhancements in balance, gait,
and self-reported ambulatory confidence,and significant reductions in fall risk. The
magnitude of these enhancements was
proportional to the initial degree of
impairment. Follow-up testing indicatespersistence for 6-12 months or longer,
making NEURVESTA an effective tool forbalance restoration in older adults.
Able Innovations ALTATM – Research on
New Features (Poster #87)
Authors & Affiliations:
Amir Laghai
Bahareh Chimehi (Presenter)2Phillippe Forster
Julien Larivière-Chartier1
Phil Masson
Laura Ault1

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Bruce Wallace2
1
2

Bruyere Research InstituteCarleton University

Displayed on October 25, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Background: Project partner “AbleInnovations” has developed a new patienttransfer system, the ALTATM, that isdesigned to replace the sling transfersthat are currently used in hospitals andcare homes utilizing mechatronics tosafely perform lateral patient transfers.
Aim 1: Due to the weight of the ALTATM,
motor assists will help staff move andposition the ALTATM. Application of
sensors to the existing ALTATM handles tocontrol motor assist will be intuitive forcare staff to use. Aim 2: The full scale
ALTATM will be validated to assess theforces applied to patients beingtransferred to ensure they are within safe
limits.
Methods: Aim 1: Sensors are applied to
the 4 push handles located at each cornerof the bed. The system will be tested for 8
bed movements: forward/backward goingstraight/left/right and lateral left/right.
Aim 2: The ALTATM is tested with apatient manikin and sensors to measure
shear and normal forces experienced
during transfer for various patient
position and body masses.
Results: Aim 1: Machine Learning models
are applied to the sensor measures
showing a classification accuracy of >88%.
Aim 2: The results will show the levels of
normal and shear forces applied to thesubjects and demonstrate that they arewithin safe levels and well below theforces applied during sling transfers.

Conclusion: This work demonstrates
contributions to the ALTATM by the AGEWELL SAM3 NIH supporting better
comfort for those needing transfer andreducing injury risk for care staff.
Using RTLS to Assess and Predict Motor
Agitation Events (Poster #88)
Authors & Affiliations:
Zain Hasan (Presenter)
Toronto Rehab Institute, University Health
Network
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am-12:00pm ET
Real-time location systems (RTLS) allow
tracking of people over time and spacewith minimal obstruction to their daily
lives. In long-term care settings, this data
can then be used to analyze people’s
motion, walking trajectory and dynamics,
how residents interact with theirenvironment, and with each other. Whenused in conjunction with clinical metrics,
including medication history, records ofmotor agitation events, falls, this data canprovide insights and potentially predictive
capabilities for various clinically relevant
outcomes. In the case of people livingwith dementia (PwD), an RTLS platform
could help describe correlations between
the movement patterns of residents whenagitated, where they spend their time,
how often they socialize with others, andwhat medications or dosages preceded
motor agitation events. In this study, we
collected RTLS data from a specialized
dementia unit caring for PwD’s behavioral
and psychological symptoms of dementia
and explored patterns in their motion to
help train machine learning algorithms toclassify motor agitation events. This

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
analysis was conducted using solely RTLSbased motion dynamics features such as
motion speed, trajectory, non-linearity, toestablish a baseline for predicting motor
agitation events. Next, the same
predictive modeling was carried out using
purely clinical features (medication
history, fall events, NPI scores, and use ofmobility aids to establish a second
prediction baseline. Lastly, predictivemodels were built using both clinical and
RTLS data Our results showed thatcombining both trajectory metrics andclinical measures improves thepredictability of motor agitation above
both individual baselines. We also present
comments on the efficacy, strengths, andweaknesses of predicting acute clinicalevents versus chronic events using RTLS
features, to inform future avenues ofresearch.
Virtual GERAS DANCE for Older Adults:
Facilitators and Barriers to Successful
Implementation Across Diverse Settingsin Canada (Poster #89)
Authors & Affiliations:
Patricia Hewston (Presenter)
Caroline MarrAli Dashti
Genevieve Hladysh
Esther Coker
Joye St Onge
George Ioannidis
Courtney Kennedy
Alexandra Papaioannou
Hamilton Health Sciences
McMaster University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objective: Given the increasing
significance of technology in healthcare,

this study focused on exploring strategies
for optimal implementation of a virtual
adaptation of GERAS DANCE, a specialized
evidence-based program shown to target
brain health and mobility in older adults,
across diverse settings in Canada.
Methods: Utilizing the Consolidated
Framework for Implementation Research(CFIR) we conducted surveys and semistructured interviews. A total of 12 sites
were enrolled into the study across five
diverse practice settings which included
community support services (n=3), longterm care (n=3), recreation centres (n=2),
adult day centres (n=2), and hospitalwards (n=2). Group-based sessions were
livestreamed from the YMCA of HBB using
a collaborative, community approach withan on-site staff member facilitating at
each site twice weekly (1-hour sessions)for 6-weeks. Feedback was obtained from22 healthcare professionals and staff.
Across all sites, virtual GERAS DANCE wasdelivered to 135 older adults. Key CFIR
constructs explored included innovation
characteristics, outer setting, innersetting, individual characteristics, andprocess. Constructs that most strongly
influence implementation were identified
through across-case comparison of
ratings.
Results: Implementation was mostinfluenced by innovation characteristics(enjoyable music, socialization, exercise,and evidence-based design) and innersetting factors within participatingorganizations (cost-effective
implementation, experienced staff in
virtual programs, high demand for virtual
options). Barriers included engaging older
adults with cognitive impairment andtechnical limitations in rural areas withlimited broadband Wi-Fi capacity.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Conclusions: This study offers novel
insights into influential constructs for
optimal implementation of virtual
adaptation of GERAS DANCE for older
adults. Virtual GERAS DANCE shows
promise in promoting brain health,mobility, and social connections, making it
a viable intervention in most urban andrural settings across Canada.
Using Real-Time Location Systems Data
to Identify Clusters of Rest-Activity
Rhythms in People Living with Dementia(Poster #90)
Authors & Affiliations:
Yasser Karam (Presenter)1,2
Leia C. Shum1
Andrea Iaboni1
Shehroz S. Khan1
1

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2
University of Toronto
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Disruption to circadian rhythm is ahallmark of dementia, which manifests in
the rest-activity rhythms of people livingwith dementia. Their sleep-wake cycles
are fragmented, leading to reduced daily
activity and potential day-night reversal.
These disruptions accelerate the need forresidential care, where the rhythm isfurther disturbed. Sleep disturbances may
also worsen neurodegeneration.
Identifying disrupted rest-activity rhythms
and intervening appropriately could
reduce agitation, delay
institutionalization, and slow dementia
progression. This project aims to measurepeople living with dementia’s rest-activity
rhythms and explore longitudinal clinicalcorrelations using Real-Time Locations

Systems Data (RTLS) collected from theSpecialized Dementia Unit in Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute, Canada. RTLS
technology is often utilized in healthcare
for patient and asset tracking. It uses
radio frequency communication betweena (wearable) transmitter and receiver,offering longer battery life andspatiotemporal data that is moreinterpretable to study rest-activity
rhythms in comparison to accelerometer’s
motion data. Rest-activity features will be
extracted from the RTLS data, followed byclustering algorithms (e.g., K-Means) togroup the rhythms. Correlations to clinicalassessments (e.g., NeuropsychiatricInventory and Mini-Mental State Exam)and their changes over time will beanalyzed using mixed-effect models.
Preliminary results show a significant
correlation (p<0.05) between the
cumulative Neuropsychiatric Inventory
sleep score and night-time activity. This
research seeks to extend RTLS technology
beyond patient and asset tracking toprovide rest-activity assessment.
Identifying the nature of the rhythm
disruption can aid personalized therapies
and allow monitoring of the effectivenessof interventions.
The Challenges Associated with
Recruitment of Participants Living With
Dementia for Smart Tech Research in a
Hospital Transitional Unit During COVID(Poster #91)
Authors & Affiliations:
Chantal Trudel2
Laura Ault (Presenter)11
2

Bruyere Research InstituteCarleton University

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Objectives: Night staff working ontransitional care units in hospitals are
responsible for safety of patients affectedby cognitive / mobility impairments.
Supportive Smart Home (SSH) technology
systems can provide insights into thenightly activities of residents and support
care staff. This poster reviews thechallenges of implementing experimental
technology on a dementia care unit in a
hospital during COVID.
Methods: Steering and implementationcommittees were formed, research ethics
approval was obtained, and front-line
staff were met. Technology was installed
on a locked unit for patients living withdementia at the Greystone Transitional
Care facility. Ottawa start-up, Esprit-ai,
provided motion and bed pressure
sensors that were installed into patient
rooms. Upon patient bed exit during thenight, these cloud-connected sensors sent
text message alerts to a cell phone carriedby the staff.
Results: There are 25 beds on the unit
where this project took place and there
were about 125 admissions over theperiod Dec 2021 to May 2023. Eightpatients were recruited for the study.
Barriers to recruitment included the
COVID pandemic, hospital staff turn-over,
the overall fragile state of the patientsand the resulting stress on family
members, patient turnover, and patient‘interest’ in the sensors. Recruitment
efforts included: a poster on the unit,
asking management to notify re: newadmissions, involving bedside staff, andmonthly visits to the unit.
Conclusion: Implementing technology
research in hospital settings is a challenge,
particularly during exceptional

circumstances like COVID, but the natureof transitional care is also important.

Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease in the
Preclinical Stage from Life Space Maps
(Poster #92)
Authors & Affiliations:
Mackenzie Wallich (Presenter)
Sayeh Bayat
University of Calgary
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
More than 400,000 Canadian seniors areliving with dementia, most commonly
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Although no
definitive cure exists, early intervention
has been shown to slow AD progression.
This study investigates a novel AD
detection method that uses life spacemaps to visualize both the spatiotemporaland semantic dimensions of people’s
outdoor mobility, along withconvolutional neural networks (CNN) toclassify between preclinical and nonpreclinical AD. A total of 116 cognitively
normal individuals, aged 65 years or older,both with and without biomarkers linked
to AD, participated in the study. Theydrove with a GPS device installed in theirvehicles for up to 5 years. An algorithm
was designed to infer activity types fromfour months of GPS data, allocating one
month to each season to capture seasonalchanges in driving. The monthly routes
and destinations were colour-coded basedon activity type, mapped, and thenconverted into images for subsequent
deep learning analysis. Due to the highresolution of the images and thecomplexity of the patterns distinguishing
the two classes, a patch-based

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
classification method was implemented.
Various CNNs were trained on the image
data using the Area Under the Curve(AUC) score as the selected metric. Life
space maps were demonstrated to be ahelpful visual aid for exploring older
adults’ spatiotemporal and semantic
environments. By integrating life spacemaps with CNNs, this study offers apotential early detection method forpreclinical AD. This method may enable
timely interventions that could positively
impact the progression of the disease.

motivators, and barriers influencing
engagement of dementia prevention
research on social media.

Social Media use in Dementia Prevention
Research: Community and Professional
Experts Talk Ethics (Poster #93)

Results: Experts by experience valued theeducational benefits of social media but
risks such as diminished online privacy,
dementia-related stigma, being targeted
for predatory practices, andmisinformation were major ethicalconcerns. Having a family history ofdementia was a motivator for using social
media to access resources on dementia
prevention research. Professional experts
revealed a need for social media
guidelines for prevention research, relying
on informal sources to supplement ethics
board approval. They sought methods ofstrategic communication for publicdialogue (e.g., misinformation, criticism).
Various digital inequities (e.g.,socioeconomic status, literacy, English
fluency) reportedly dampen social media’s
reach to diverse publics. Participants inboth expert groups acknowledged thatyounger aging populations are more likely
to have digital fluency and may benefit
from social media research engagement.

Authors & Affiliations:
Viorica Hrincu (Presenter)1
Grayden Zaleski1
Julie M. Robillard1,2
1

Division of Neurology, Department ofMedicine, University of British Columbia
2
BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Background: Social media cancomplement current recruitment channels
in dementia prevention research tofacilitate greater public involvement.
Ethical social media use underpins
effective online engagement in research.
Existing social media guidelines forresearchers are broad and lack empiricaljustification reflecting the values andpriorities of the dementia community, andthe considerations specific to prevention
research.
Objective: With community andprofessional experts, we sought toidentify the ethical considerations,

Methods: We conducted semi-structured,qualitative interviews with experts withlived experience (n=14; e.g., people livingwith dementia, care partners) andprofessional experts working in dementia
research (n=15; e.g., researchers,
coordinators). Experts were from Canada,
the USA, the UK, and Chile. We analyzed
interview transcripts using thematic
qualitative analysis methods.

Conclusions: Diverse experts identified
ethical and contextual factors surroundingsocial media engagement for dementia
prevention, and a need for moreguidance. Our results are currently
informing the co-creation of contextually

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
relevant ethical guidelines for brain healthresearch.
Effectiveness of a Game-based Cognitive
Intervention on Older Adults’ Cognition
and Health-related Outcomes (Poster#94)
Authors & Affiliations:
Adriana Ríos Rincón (Presenter)1
Yilina Liubaoerjijin1
Farnaz Koubasi1
Mathieu Figeys1
Munirah Alsubaie1
Yusuf Kola Ahmed1
Eleni Stroulia2
1

Department of Occupational Therapy,
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine,
University of Alberta
2
Department of Computing Science,
Faculty of Science, University of Alberta
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: This project aims toinvestigate the effects of technology
interventions using five serious computer
games we have developed on the
cognitive skills of older adults with Mild
Cognitive Impairments or dementia. Our
project also aims to explore the transfer
effect of this game-based intervention on
occupational performance, healthconditions, and behaviour.
Methods: A feasibility Randomized
Controlled Trial (RCT) is being conductedwith residents of long-term care facilities
in Alberta. Residents are randomly
assigned to the intervention or control
group. The intervention group receives agame-based cognitive intervention
consisting of playing our games for 30
minutes twice per week for 12 weeks.

Cognitive and occupational performancemeasures (The Alzheimer's Disease
Assessment Scale - ADAS Cog and theCanadian Occupational Performance
Measure (COMP) and information fromcharts (health conditions and behaviour)
are collected on weeks 0, 12 and 16(follow-up).
Results: Seven older adults have beenenrolled in the trial, and four of them
have been allocated to the intervention
group. On average, the intervention grouphad 6.25 sessions with the games. A
memory game has been the most playedone (in 42% of sessions). Participants withhigher cognitive skills have shown lessengagement with the game sessions.
More participants from other facilities will
be enrolled in the coming weeks.
Conclusions: The trial design seems
feasible, although some adjustments in
the inclusion criteria were foundnecessary during the data collection.
Presenters will share with the audience
the challenges of conducting a RCT under
the pressures imposed by the COVID-19
pandemic and how these have beenaddressed. Outcome measures are being
analyzed, and partial results will bepresented at the conference. Results fromthis trial contribute to building on theevidence of game-based cognitive
intervention for older adults.
AGE-WELL SAM3 Collaborative Projects
with NRC Aging-in-Place Program (Poster#95)
Authors & Affiliations:Rafik Goubran (Presenter)2Frank Knoefel3
Chris Herdman2
Heidi Sveistrup1

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Team Members:
Diane El Hajjar
Mohsen Mozafari2
Emma Boulay
Aidan Lochbihler2
Bruce Wallace2
Jim Green2
Neil Thomas3
Kathleen van Benthem2#2 Methods to analyze eye movements
and speech using a laptop-based test
scenario#3 Methods to analyze changes in driving
behaviours through in-car sensor systems.
#4 Focused projects with SMEs toprogress their solutions to better serve
the needs of older adults though multidisciplinary collaboration projects.

NRC Collaborating PI:
Pengcheng Xi
Kathleen Fraser
Manuela Kunz
Jocelyn Keillor

Results:#1 Results will show the ability to assess
well-being through noncontact analysis ofsound and video.
#2 Results will show how a combination ofeye tracking and speech analysis can beused to assess cognitive change.
#3 Results will show the knowledge
related to safe driving behaviours that canbe determined from longitudinal in-car
driving data.
#4 The services to accelerate SME productdevelopment and validation will bedemonstrated.

1

University of Ottawa
Carleton University
3
Bruyere Research Institute2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Background:
The AGE-WELL SAM3 NIH has establishedextensive collaborations with the National
Research Council Aging-in-Place program.
Proj #1 Understanding well-being throughambient sensors and smart systems within
the home.
Proj #2 Creating a computer-based tool
for assessment of cognitive change basedon combined speech assessment and eye
tracking.
Proj #3 Understanding changes in driving
behaviours to support ongoing safe
driving.
Proj #4 Advancing SME solutions to
support aging through SAM3 expertiseand skills.
Methods:#1 Methods for acoustic sound analysis toassess coughs and activity and video
analysis to assess respiration and heartrate.

Conclusion:
The collaboration with the NRC has
enabled SAM3 to put in place an extensive
set of projects to explore novels ways tosupport and enable independence and toengage with companies focused on the
supporting aging and independence.
The Future of AgeTech: Future Directionsin Technology to Support the Health,
Independence and Wellbeing of Older
Adults (Poster #96)
Authors & Affiliations:
Andrew Sixsmith (Presenter)
Mei Fang
Becky White
Simon Fraser University

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Canada is a world leader in
AgeTech, but AgeTech must be seen in thecontext of global-level technological,
social and economic trends. The Science
Technology and Research (STAR) Instituteat Simon Fraser University aims to support
community-engaged research in the fieldof technology and aging. This poster
highlights the ongoing efforts of the STAR
Institute to advance AgeTech research andinnovation.
Methods: Through seven years ofextensive research conducted at the STAR
Institute, employing collaborative andinclusive methodologies involving key
stakeholders in the AgeTech field andolder individuals, we have gained acomprehensive understanding of thecurrent landscape, challenges, andopportunities in AgeTech.
Results: Key areas for future directions in
the field of AgeTech research andinnovation identified include (1) the
development of a global agenda, (2)exploring the intersection between
climate change and AgeTech, (3)promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness,(4) fostering ethical design thinking in
AgeTech design and innovation and (5)addressing the absence of robust
theoretical or conceptual frameworks foraging technologies.
Conclusion: To ensure the advancementof AgeTech, it is critical to connect withwider initiatives such as the United
Nations Strategic Development Goals andthe Decade of Healthy Ageing.
Additionally, AgeTech needs to respond to
megatrends like population growth, rapid
urbanization, international migration,
climate change, and the ongoingmarginalization of the Global South. This
program of work undertaken by the STAR
Institute will contribute to pushing theboundaries of AgeTech research andinnovation.
Social Robots Autonomously Facilitating
Dance in Long-term Care (Poster #97)
Authors & Affiliations:Yizhu Li
Nan Liang (Presenter)
Goldie Nejat
Autonomous Systems andBiomechatronics Laboratory (ASBLab)
Department of Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering, University of Toronto
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives: Dance therapy provides
significant health benefits to older adults.
To successfully integrate social robots to
help facilitate dance therapy sessions inlong-term care homes, we conducted apreliminary study to investigate
acceptance and attitudes towards robotfacilitated dance sessions of residents andstaff in a long-term care home.
Methods: Fifty-four caregivers andtwenty-seven residents participated inrobot facilitated dance sessions in small
groups. For each session, the social robot
first greeted the participants and theninvited them to dance along with it for 3
songs. After each session, residents andstaff completed a questionnaire based on
their experiences.
Results and Conclusions: The results
showed that both staff and residents had
positive attitudes towards the robotfacilitated dance activity. Residents had

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
higher ratings on perceived ease of use,
safety, and enjoyment than the staff.
However, the staff had a statisticallysignificant higher rating for willingness to
use the robots. Differences in results withrespect to gender were also found. Men
within the resident group found the robot
more useful with facilitating leisureactivities compared to women in theresident group.
Medication Adherence Technologies: A
Classification Taxonomy Based on
Features (Poster #98)

the users of the taxonomy and medication
adherence technologies while
determining meta-characteristics andending conditions. Both empirical-toconceptual and conceptual-to-empiricalapproaches were utilized. To identify
common characteristics of medication
adherence devices, a subset of 23 devices
was examined. The characteristics werecategorized into dimensions andsubdimensions. To attain consensus on
the proposed taxonomy, a Delphi
consensus survey was conducted with alarger team of 13 members, aiming for anagreement level of over 70%.

Authors & Affiliations:
Bincy Baby (Presenter)1
Jasdeep Kaur Gill
Sadaf Faisal1
Rishabh Sharma1
Ghada Elba
SooMin Park
Annette McKinnon
Kirk Patterson
Sara Guilcher2
Feng Chang1
Linda Lee
Catherine Burns1
Ryan H. Griffin
Tejal Patel1

Results: Seven dimensions, 23 subdimensions, and 96 characteristics were
initially identified. After the first Delphi
consensus survey, 4 sub-dimensions did
not achieve the desired 70% consensus
and new sub-dimensions such as non-slipfeatures, screen size, and privacy wereintroduced. Moreover, sub-dimensions ofconnectivity, power source, and datacollection methods were modified. In thesecond round of Delphi consensus, all subdimensions achieved over 70%
agreement, leading to the final taxonomy
comprising 7 dimensions, 24 subdimensions, and 105 characteristics.

1

Conclusion: The taxonomy, developed
through an assessment of existing
technology's characteristics and features,
distinguishes and categorizes medication
adherence technologies available on themarket. By enabling a detailed
comparison, this taxonomy facilitates an
examination of product usability forpatients with various functional
limitations. Healthcare professionals andpatients can leverage this classification
system to make informed decisions inselecting appropriate medication
adherence technologies.

2

University of Waterloo
University of Toronto

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: To develop a classification
system for medication adherencetechnologies based on an inventory ofcharacteristics and features of existing
technology.
Method: To conduct this study, we used
the Taxonomy Development Method. A
research team of five members definedAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Developing an Intervention to Slow
Down and/or Prevent the Progression of
Frailty (Poster #99)
Authors & Affiliations:
Patrick McGowan (Presenter)
University of Victoria
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives
The objectives were to develop an
effective three-month weekly telephone
peer-coaching program to assist older
adults manage their chronic conditions
and to slow down and/or prevent
progression of frailty.
Methods
The first study involved 115 persons with
type 2 diabetes. Participants were pairedwith peer coaches who engaged them inweekly 30-45 minute telephone calls overthree months. The second study involved
170 older adults with chronic healthconditions
where one group also received threeassistive devices, namely: a watch; a scale;and a sleep pad. The third RCT, started in
2023 involves 120 older adults and is
examining effectiveness in slowing down
and/or preventing progression of frailty inolder adults. In this study, theintervention includes teachingparticipants to use self-management
support strategies and ways toincorporate the AVOID Strategies of theCanadian Frailty Network into their lives.
Results
The first two studies found thatparticipants had made significant
improvements in key outcomes andparticipants who also were given assistive

devices had twice as many improvements.
This group reported that using the devices
gave them greater control over their
behaviour and health. Covariates of sex,
education level, and number of chronic
conditions did not influence the results.
Data analysis of outcome measures forthe frailty study will commence inDecember 2023.
Conclusions
A pragmatic low-cost peer coachingintervention assisted persons with chronic
conditions engage in healthy behaviours
and manage their health.
The group that received the assistive
devices had several additional positiveand higher outcomes, particularly with
self-efficacy.
Pilot Implementation of An Assistive
Technology (ARMM) in a Long-Term Care
Setting (Poster #100)
Authors & Affiliations:
Mirou Jaana (Presenter)1
Danielle Cruise1,2
Brynn O’Dwyer1
Danielle Sinden2
1

Telfer School of Management, Universityof Ottawa
2
Centre of Excellence in Frailty Informed
Care™, Perley Health
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: To pilot the Ambulation,
Mobility, Retraining and Mobility
Mechanism (ARMM) technology duringphysiotherapy sessions in a long-term care
(LTC) home, assess the technology’s
impacts on workflow, and evaluate its
feasibility and acceptability by residents

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
and physiotherapists/physiotherapy
assistants’ (PTs/PTAs).

Landscape, Challenges, andOpportunities (Poster #101)

Methods: Using a pre-post design, direct
observations on key events in residents’physiotherapy care journey were mapped.
A survey ([1-5] Likert scale) assessing
PTs/PTAs' (n=9) and residents’ (n=27)
attitudes and influencing factors towards
this AT use was conducted pre/10-week
post technology use. Challenges and areasof improvement were assessed (openended questions).

Authors & Affiliations:
Patrick Patterson (Presenter)1
Lyne Ouellet2,3
Jenna Roddick1

Results: Pre-implementation, 17
observations of physiotherapy sessions
were recorded over 7 weeks; residents
participated in six exercise types(median=15 min). The surveyed PTs/PTAs
and residents indicated high intention to
use this assistive technology inphysiotherapy and residents were notapprehensive of the device use.
Challenges (pre-implementation)
included: need for additional staff;
residents’ difficulty following instructions,fatigue and lack of exercise
motivation/interest; high risk offalls/injury; difficulty walking andtransferring; residents’ fear of falling; andneed to improve balance. The ARMM use
improved residents’ confidence whenambulating but added session time
(median=20.5 min) and complexity to theworkflow.
Conclusions: Acceptability and willingness
to use the ARMM device significantly
declined post-implementation.
Improvement opportunities with the
ARMM were identified. The results caninform future AT implementation/impacts
research and serve as a benchmark for
LTC homes.
New Brunswick’s AgeTech Innovation
Environment: An Overview of the Policy

1

AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub –APPTA
2
St. Thomas University
3
University of New Brunswick
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Older adults in New Brunswick prefer toreside in their homes for as long as
possible. New technology can help older
adults stay in their homes longer, butinnovators have identified obstacles tointroduction of market-ready products.
We present an environmental scan of thepolicy context for technology
development and adoption in New
Brunswick, as it applies to home-basedcare or older adults managing their healthat home. The scan applied an ecologicallens to a review of policies, strategies,
programs, and initiatives related to healthtechnology innovation in New Brunswick.
Analysis identified three interlinked policy
ecosystems, each with a set oforganizations and programs that influenceinnovation. In the research anddevelopment ecosystem, a variety of
programs provide innovators withresources. The commercialization
ecosystem includes regulatory agencies,
as well as programs that support market
development and capacity expansion. The
adoption and maintenance ecosystem iscomplex, with several pathways for new
technology to reach end users. Eachpathway includes a combination of
government and private sector actors, andthe supports applicable to innovations

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
depend on how they are incorporated intohome care services. While programs in
New Brunswick support health technology
innovators, there are opportunities toaddress ongoing challenges.
Establishment of a central data repositoryand “living lab” communities could
generate performance data to improveplanning and procurement decisions.
Continued engagement with stakeholders
would help guide support for technology
integration, and focusing new programson technology adoption would encourage
end users to implement innovations inolder adults’ homes.
Voice Payment System Authentication:
Exploring User Preferences andAccessibility Needs of Users with
Cognitive Disabilities (Poster #102)
Authors & Affiliations:
Danika Lévesque (Presenter)
Virginie Cobigo
Nima Er-Raji
Fatou Bah
University of Ottawa, Open Collaboration
for Cognitive Accessibility
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Authentication is a vital process forverifying an entity's identity andmitigating data privacy and security risks
in financial transactions. Strong
authentication practices are essential touphold transaction legitimacy andpayment method credibility. Thissystematic literature review explores user
preferences for authentication in voice
payment systems, with a focus onaddressing accessibility needs forindividuals with cognitive disabilities.
Additionally, it investigates the challenges

associated with authentication andprovides technical design
recommendations for voice systems.
Through a comprehensive analysis of 23
relevant papers, valuable insights were
gained, particularly in accommodating
cognitive disabilities, balancing security
and usability, and implementing effective
authentication mechanisms. The study
underscores the significance ofaccessibility design patterns, ensuring
inclusivity and user-friendliness in voicebased services. These findings holdrelevance for researchers, designers, anddevelopers working in voice-based
authentication and financial transactions,promoting enhanced user experiences
and system integrity.
Keywords: Voice payment system,
Authentication, User preferences,
Accessibility, Cognitive disabilities.
In-home Seniors’ Activity of Daily Living
Monitoring: A Review of the Literature(Poster #103)
Authors & Affiliations:
Pourya Moghadam (Presenter)
Atena Roshan Fekr
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University
Health Network
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objective: With the aging population on
the rise, monitoring technologies for
Activities of Daily Living (ADL) can play avital role in supporting independent aging
in place. This study categorizes anddescribes smart home technologies used
to monitor older adults at home.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Method: We conducted a comprehensive
search on four scientific databases: IEEE,
Web of Science, Scopus, and Google
Scholar following the Preferred Reporting
Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA)
guidelines. We included articles aiming tomonitor ADLs in home environments andexcluded others such as sports andindustry. Different characteristics
including subjects’ demographic
information, types of ADLs and monitoring
technologies, classification model, andperformance were extracted from each
paper.
Result: The search yielded 278 papers
published between 2013 and 2023, out of
which 57 were ultimately included in the
final analysis. We identified three types oftechnologies: ambient sensors (N=32),
wearable devices (N=18), and fusion
approaches (N=7). Among machinelearning models, the Support Vector
Machine was the most commonly usedclassification algorithm (N=23). Due to thestrong predictive capabilities of Recurrent
Neural Networks when working withtemporal features, the Long Short-Term
Memory model has attracted muchinterest after 2020 (N=6).
Conclusion: Despite recent advancements
in ADL monitoring, further research is
required to address specific gaps. For
example, monitoring technologies,
particularly those involving cameras (suchas ambient sensors), may raise privacy
concerns among seniors. Additionally,
there is limited information on ADL
monitoring in multi-resident settings.
Furthermore, high costs associated withsome monitoring solutions hinderaccessibility for a significant portion of thesenior population.

Validation of ARIA index to assess thequality of mobile apps for patients livingwith chronic health conditions (Poster#104)
Authors & Affiliations:
Lili Liu (Presenter)1
Miguel Cruz, A. 1,2,3
1

University of Waterloo
University of Alberta
3
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Today, mHealth is becoming a ubiquitous
term thanks to apps like Calm, Aura, and
WebMD. mHealth, short for mobile
health, refers to mobile devices or appsthat educate, support, or manage healthconditions. However, mHealth apps are
not regulated and thus their quality andefficacy is unknown. The Alberta Rating
Index of Apps (ARIA) was developed tohelp app users evaluate the quality ofapps, with a paper-based version
validated in a previous study. In thecurrent study, the online version of ARIA
was evaluated by persons living withhealth conditions (n=64), caregivers(n=14), and health practitioners (n=7) who
trialled two mHealth apps, Calm andBreathe2Relax. Our poster presentation
will feature the preliminary findings
pertaining to descriptive participant
statistics and questionnaire results, giventhat one caregiver and 8 healthpractitioners are still being recruited.
Diverse perspectives from all threeparticipant groups will cumulate into an
online index for the quality and efficacy ofmHealth apps available for consumers
today. An established and usable index for
mHealth apps could educate andempower users who are considering

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
adopting an app, ultimately enhancing
their health management journey.
Activity Classification on Healthy
Individual Using Acceleration Data andMachine Learning (Poster #105)
Authors & Affiliations:
Rahim Dhupalia (Presenter)
Vincent Nguyen
William Gage
Garrett Melenka
Gerd Grau
York University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Background: Age-related diseases such as
knee osteoarthritis can cause limitationsin the gait of individuals when performing
everyday activities. To aid in disease
prevention or recovery, a machinelearning algorithm could be used to
predict the activities being performed andmeasure changes in range of motion. The
first step of this project is to build a datacollection system, validate its data, andpredict activities being performed byhealthy individuals.
Objective: Activity classification using afeed-forward neural network, based on
activity data collected from a healthy
individual using a custom data collection
system and validated against a reference
optoelectronic motion capture system.
Method: The leg-mounted data collection
system was built and programmed fromscratch, using off-the-shelf components
and sensors. Simple activities were
performed multiple times by a healthy
individual, such as walking, running,squatting, sitting-to-standing, and lunging.

Data were collected simultaneously withboth the custom system and motion
capture system. These activities were thenlabelled, and their XYZ acceleration data
was fed to a neural network, to perform
supervised classification.
Results: The network can classify these
activities with an accuracy of greater than90%. Validation of the custom systemagainst the reference system is still inprogress.
Conclusions: Early results suggest a simple
network and only XYZ acceleration data issufficient to classify simple activities
performed by an individual withunrestricted gait. System validation work
is ongoing. Further work must be done tolearn if the model can predict activities
performed by an individual with arestricted gait.
An exploratory trial to assess the effects
of a music-based digital therapeutic onanxiety and agitation in people with mildand moderate cognitive impairment(Poster #106)
Authors & Affiliations:
Adiel Mallik
Rhiannon Ueberholz (Presenter)
Zoe Thomson
LUCID Therapeutics
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
The rise in dementia-related healthcare
costs and caregiver burden presents anurgent need for scalable interventions toalleviate agitation and support caregiverwell-being. Drawing on the establishedbenefits of music interventions, LUCID has
developed a novel digital therapeutic,

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
LUC-101, which employs reinforcement
learning and biometrics to deliver
personalized music interventions withintegrated auditory beat stimulation. The
objectives of this trial were to assess theacceptability of regular usage and togather preliminary efficacy data. Over a 2week timeframe, 48 participants with mild
to moderate dementia were randomly
assigned to use LUC-101 or a selection ofaudiobooks (control) 4 times/week for 30
minutes. The intervention demonstrated
a high level of adherence and caregiversatisfaction. Efficacy results focused onchanges from baseline obtained at thelevel of session or study. At the session
level, greater reductions in acute agitation
were observed in the LUC-101 groupcompared to the control group (PANSS-EC,
p < 0.05). At the study level, positive but
non-significant trends were observed withgreater agitation reduction (CMAI) andmood improvement (PANAS) in the LUC101 group. The exploratory trial
demonstrated successful engagement ofdementia patients and caregivers throughremote recruitment and support,
highlighting the potential of digital
therapeutics in this context. This trial also
revealed significant effects in reducing
agitation at the session level andencouraging trends for both agitation
mood at the study level. It is anticipatedthat more of the trends observed at the
study level would have yieldedsignificance in a trial lasting longer than
two weeks. Ultimately, this study paves
the way for a promising avenue to address
the challenges associated with dementiarelated agitation and enhance the qualityof life for both patients and caregivers.
Pose2Gait: Extracting Gait Features from
Monocular Video of Individuals with
Dementia (Poster #107)

Authors & Affiliations:
Caroline Malin-Mayor1,2
Vida Adeli1,2Andrea Sabo2
Sergey Noritsyn (Presenter)1
Carolina Gorodetsky3
Alfonso Fasano1,2,4,5,6
Andrea Iaboni1,2,7
Babak Taati1,2
1

University of Toronto
KITE Research Institute, Toronto
Rehabilitation Institute, UHN
3
The Hospital for Sick Children
4
Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement
Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western
Hospital, UHN
5
Krembil Brain Institute, UHN
6Center for Advancing NeurotechnologicalInnovation to Application
7
Centre for Mental Health, UHN
2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Video-based ambient monitoring of gaitfor older adults with dementia canpotentially be used to identify adverse
health developments and allow earlyintervention by clinicians and caregivers
to avoid falls or hospitalizations. This
study aims to employ joint locations
derived from video data using computer
vision-based pose tracking models to
optimize gait analysis in the context ofolder adults or clinical populations. Gait
data of individuals with dementia is
captured at two sites using a wallmounted Microsoft Kinect system tocollect video and depth parameters as
participants walk down a hallway towards
a camera. Publicly available models areused to extract two-dimensional posesequences from video, which comprisethe datasets used for training andevaluating our Pose2Gait model. We train
a deep neural network to translate theAGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
two-dimensional pose sequences into a
set of three-dimensional spatiotemporal
gait features, averaged over the durationof the walking sequence. Our model iscapable of extracting velocity and step
length metrics from video that correlatewith the gait features from the Kinect
depth camera, with respective Spearman's
correlation coefficients 0.81 and 0.60.
Overall, this result shows the viability of
extracting three-dimensional
spatiotemporal features from monocular
video. Further performance
improvements on prediction of otherfeatures, such as step time and step
width, would allow this methodology to
be applied in a clinical setting fordetection and prediction of changes inindividuals’ gait and short-term healthrisks during long-term ambientmonitoring.

integration. The sensor can help seniors
aging at home, independent/assisted
living, or long-term care centers. The
sensor received CES 2021 Innovation
Award Honoree, and is one of only threefall detection devices selected by Amazon
for its Alexa Together emergency service.
In addition to Canada and US, it has also
been adopted by customers in other mainmarkets, including Japan, China, andAustralia.
Understanding Perspectives ofWayfinding Technology Use by People
with Disabilities (Poster #109)
Authors & Affiliations:Thianna Edwards (Presenter)1
Alison Novak2
1
2

Privacy-Preserving Smart Activity Sensor
for Senior Care (Poster #108)
Authors & Affiliations:
Jie Liang (Presenter)
Simon Fraser University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
In this poster, we will introduce theSentinare smart activity sensor that
AltumView has developed since 2018 forsenior care and remote patientmonitoring. The sensor uses AI technology
to monitor the activity of people, collectactivity statistics, detect emergencies suchas falls, and notify caregivers when
emergencies such as falls are detected. To
protect privacy, it only displays people as
stick figures and never transmits videos,
allowing it to be used in bedrooms andbathrooms. It also has API for third-party

University of Waterloo
Toronto Rehabilitation InstituteDisplayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
Objectives: The objectives of this study
are to understand: 1) What technology
Canadian adults with disabilities use forwayfinding? 2) What tools and features ofthese technologies facilitate thewayfinding of Canadian adults withdisabilities? 3) What are the barriers
experienced with the currently available
wayfinding technologies?
Method: A qualitative survey using
REDCap was disseminated to understanduser experiences and perspectives withthe use of wayfinding technology. To be
included, participants had to self-identify
as having a disability and live in Canada.
Survey included open-ended questions
about general experiences withwayfinding and barriers using various
technologies. Frequencies of each

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
facilitator code were obtained for eachtype of technology, so that the top tools
and features could be determined. Aninteractive coding guide was created andused for analysis of open-ended barrierexperience responses by two teammembers.
Results: A total of 282 eligible survey
respondents participated. Participants
were an average age of 47.9 years old andthe sample represented a diverse group ofpeople with disabilities, although theprimary disabilities represented were
those related tomobility/flexibility/dexterity and vision.
The majority of respondents use mobile
apps and websites for wayfinding.
Common barriers across public andpersonal wayfinding tech, fall under thethemes of information provision,compatibility, and requiring demands on
personal resources. Categories ofcommon facilitators across tech types
included auditory/tactile prompts,
interactability, information storage andtransferability, and custonmization.
Conclusions: This project aimed todevelop considerations for the inclusion ofvarious elements of wayfinding
technologies within national accessibility
standards. Considering the barriers andfacilitators to wayfinding technology use,considerations for the accessibility,
standardization, and usability of
wayfinding technology are subdivided into
those that: Support decision-making
processes for individuals; Support theorganization and communication of
information; Support use in real-world
public settings; and Provide broader
support for the use and implementation.

Technology for Supporting People with
Dementia in the Workplace: A Scoping
Review Protocol (Poster #110)
Authors & Affiliations:
Arlene Astell (Presenter)
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University
Health Network
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Background/Objectives: Dementia, aprevalent health concern globally, is often
associated with impaired memory,
reasoning, and communication skills.
Young-onset dementia (YOD) and mild
cognitive impairment (MCI) affectindividuals below 65 years of age. While
existing literature reviews have examinedthe experiences of individuals with
YOD/MCI in the workplace, there is a needto explore the role of technology insupporting individuals living withdementia in the workplace. This scoping
review aims to provide an overview of thecurrent design and implementation oftechnologies for individuals with dementia
in the workplace and identify gaps for
future research.
Methods: A six-stage scoping review
approach will be employed, following themethodology proposed by Arksey and
O’Malley. A comprehensive searchstrategy will be developed and executedin multiple electronic databases. The
screening process will occur in twophases, with two reviewers independently
assessing eligibility based on
predetermined criteria. Data extraction
will be performed using a standardized
form, and a narrative synthesis of theresults will be conducted.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Results: The review will include studies
that report on technologies designed for
and/or used by individuals living withdementia in the workplace. The study
characteristics, including geographic
distribution and study designs, will besummarized quantitatively. The results
will be presented in a narrative synthesis,
providing insights into the nature andextent of research on technology use in
the workplace for individuals withdementia.
Conclusion: This scoping review willcontribute to the understanding of thecurrent state of research on technology
for individuals living with dementia in theworkplace. The findings will inform future
research and practice guidelines,
highlighting the potential of technology tosupport individuals with YOD/MCI insustaining employment. The results will bedisseminated through publications andconference presentations, targeting
healthcare professionals and researchers.
Enhancing Quality of Life in Senior
Canadians with Frailty: A HumanCentered Study on Fear of Falling and its
Impact on Instrumental Activities of Daily
Living (Poster #111)
Authors & Affiliations:
Vyjayanthi Janakiraman (Presenter)
Kamila Kolpashnikova
Shital DesaiYork University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
This research project’s objective is toinvestigate factors that contribute to falls
and fear of falling (FoF) in older adults of
the Jane and Finch community in Toronto

in order to understand how these factors
influence the everyday lives of seniors.
We studied 15 older adults aged 55 andabove in the Jane and Finch community.
Participants were fitted with eye-tracking
glasses, physiological sensors, and video
cameras and were interviewed while
walking alongside with the interviewer.
The participants were then observed bothin their homes and community performing
these daily activities. Demographic
information, Frailty Phenotype Criteria,
Frailty Index Assessment, and the Falls
Efficacy Scale International (FES-I) werecollected for further analysis. Ongoinganalysis yields preliminary findings
concerning the factors contributing to fearof falling (FoF) among older adults. Thesefindings suggest that FoF arises from a
combination of environmental conditions,
economic factors, and delayed response
to previous falls, leading to chronic healthissues. Inadequate attention to healthneeds, including neglecting exercises forbalance and strength, hinders their living
conditions. Environmental aspects, suchas failure to clear snow/ice frompavements during winters, andinsufficient spatial support for older
adults, also play a role in this ongoingfear. Economic factors, particularly thoselimiting access to nutritious food,contribute to the development of chronic
illnesses in this population. Themes
emerging from the data include increased
apprehension of the outdoors due tochanging weather conditions, heightened
feelings of isolation due to fear of injuries,
and the significance of preserving a senseof independence among seniors. Further
analysis will be conducted to explore
these findings and to inform potential
interventions for promoting senior wellbeing and reducing FoF prevalence. The
findings will benefit not only older adults
but various stakeholders involved in careservices, industry, and policymaking.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Using digital memory augmentation to
improve autobiographical episodic
memory and quality of life in older adults
with transient epileptic amnesia (Poster#112)
Authors & Affiliations:
Miranda Chang*1
Katrina Thornber*2
Bryan Hong (Presenter)1
Eliza McCann1
Adam Zeman
Christopher R. Butler†2
Morgan D. Barense†1,4*shared first authorship†co-senior authors
1

University of Toronto
Imperial College London
3
University of Exeter
4
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest
2

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Autobiographical episodic memory loss
following brain damage in epilepsy candiminish one’s autonomy, self-identity,and quality of life. Transient epileptic
amnesia (TEA), a subtype of temporal lobe
epilepsy that affects older adults, features
brief seizures, yet memory problems
including accelerated long-term forgettingof recent events are long-lasting. Digital
Memory Augmentation (DMA) is apromising approach that harnesses
portable technology to mitigate memory
loss. We developed ''HippoCamera'', aunique DMA platform that encourages
users to record and replay high-fidelity
cues of life events using neurocognitive
principles known to improve memory. We
showed that using HippoCamera led torobust gains in memory for events inhealthy older adults. Here, we validate
and disseminate our digital memory
prosthetic to aging individuals with more
severe memory impairment. We
conducted the first autobiographicalmemory intervention in TEA to enhance (i)episodic recollection, (ii) cognitive
functioning, and (iii) psychosocial
wellbeing. A sample of TEA patients andhealthy controls from The Impairment ofMemory in Epilepsy database completed a
5½-week intervention, where theyrecorded two events per day for 3 weeks
and replayed cues twice per day for theentire study. Recorded cues wereinterleaved to be replayed or hidden(never replayed). We assessed (i) episodic
recollection for replayed versus hidden
events using a modified AutobiographicalInterview, (ii) transfer of memory benefits
to other cognitive abilities (distinguishingsimilar object stimuli) using the Mnemonic
Similarity Task, and (iii) changes inwellbeing, life satisfaction, mood, andself-concept. Preliminary results in thesethree domains and behaviouraldifferences between patients and controls
will be presented. Our findings elucidate
how our memory-enhancing technology
can alleviate memory deficits and serve as
positive reminiscence for age-related
brain changes.
Mapping the context of sedentary
behaviour (MAPS-B) in older adults who
are frail: A feasibility and longitudinal
study (Poster #113)
Authors & Affiliations:Isabel B. Rodrigues (Presenter)
Jonathan Adachi
Steven Bray
Qiyin Fang
George Ioannidis
Dylan Kobsar
Alexander Rabinovich

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
Alexandra Papaioannou
Rong Zheng
McMaster University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from12:30pm – 1:30pm ET
There is increasing concern about theamount of time older adults spend in
prolonged sedentary behaviours.
Understanding context (posture, location,
purpose, social environment) may provide
insight into effective interventions. Our
primary objective was to determine thefeasibility of assessing context ofsedentary behaviour in older adults withpre-frailty/frailty. Context was assessedover three days in winter and spring using
wearable sensors for posture, indoor
positioning system (IPS) for location
within the home, and electronic/hardcopy diary for purpose and social context.
We defined “feasibility process” using
recruitment (20 participants within twomonths), retention (85%), and refusal(20%) rates, and “feasibility resource” if
the measures capture context and are allparticipants willing to use the measures.
We approached 80 potential individuals,
and 58 expressed interest. Of the 58
individuals, 37 did not enroll due to lack ofinterest or medical mistrust (64% refusal).
We recruited 21 older adults (72±7.3
years, 13 females, 13 frail) within twomonths and experienced two dropouts(90% retention). The wearable sensor, IPS,and electronic diary captured its intended
domain of context, but the hard copy was
not completed with enough detail making
it challenging to link it to the otherdevices. Twenty participants used thewearable sensor and ten used theelectronic diary during winter and spring.
Thirteen used the IPS in winter but only
nine in spring. Using wearable sensors,
IPS, and electronic diaries may be feasible

in some cohorts, but future studies willneed to determine other methods toassess the context, especially in diverse
older adults.
Designing a real-time medication intake
and adherence dashboard: Features,functionality, and data display to meetthe needs of patients, care partners andclinicians (Poster #114)
Authors & Affiliations:
Faisal Ghaffar (Presenter)
Sadaf Faisal
Jasdeep Gill
Bincy Baby
Prapti Choudhuri
Ghada Elba
Devine Samoth
Yusra Aslam
Catherine Burns
Tejal Patel
University of Waterloo
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: To determine the key features,and functionalities of a dashboard thatkey stakeholders can use to monitor andimprove medication non-adherence.
Methods: Patients (PT), care-partners (CP)and clinicians (HCP) participated in
multiple rounds of focus groups to informthe iterative development of a dashboard.
Participants were invited to express theiropinions about existing examples ofdashboards. Transcripts of the focus
groups were transcribed verbatim andanalysed qualitatively to build a paper
prototype. In a subsequent round,participants provided feedback on thepaper prototype for further development

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Bookof the prototype and a dashboard
framework.
Results: Sixteen HCP, 5 CP and 4 PT
participated in the first round and 13 HCP,
2 PT and 4 CP in the second round of focus
group meetings. Key features desired forthe dashboard were organized underadherence metrics, data display, reportingand export capabilities, clinical,
educational, social engagement andaccessibility features, system integration,communication, data security and privacy.
Subsequently, two paper prototype
dashboards were developed, a clinician
dashboard, and patient dashboard withsimilar functionalities, including
medication-specific details and adherencegraphs. The data analysis from bothrounds led to the development of aframework detailing six components:
patient information, communication,
settings & display, data customization,
data security and privacy, and medication
adherence metrics.

1

School of Rehabilitation Science,
McMaster University
2
Communication Studies and Media Arts,
McMaster University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: The MacM3 prospective
cohort study aims to recruit 1,500 older
adults to identify early changes in mobility
over a 2-year period. We seek a diverse
cohort to understand how differences
across race, class, ethnicity, etc. articulate
to age to impact mobility changes. The
lack of diverse aging data is an ongoingissue across aging research.

Creative, slow research with older adults:
Techniques to enhance recruitment ofdiverse older adults in the MacM3
project (Poster #116)

Method: To obtain greater diversity weused the following techniques. Our team:created recruitment flyers detailing ourintent to correct the underrepresentationof diverse older adults in research;embedded a MacM3 researcher at Dixon
Hall, a neighbourhood service center andengaged their staff and peer leaders insnowball recruitment; and highlighted
attention to safety and security; engaged
in in-person research, provided diverse
benefits for participants; and engaged
trainees speaking Mandarin. Data
collection began in May 2022 at
McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) and in
March 2023 at Dixon Hall (DH). We
conducted preliminary analyses on thefirst 870 participants. Frequencies ofvarious characteristics were compared
between groups using one-sided tests ofproportions in STATA version 14.2 (College
Station, TX). Statistical significance was set
at p<0.05.

Authors & Affiliations:
Sachi O’Hoski (Presenter)1
Paula Gardner2
Marla Beauchamp1

Results: The poster details significant
increases in diversity among Dixon Hall
participants including those: born outside
Canada, racially non-white, unmarried,

Conclusion: This research offers acomprehensive framework for a real-time
medication intake and adherence
dashboard, catering to patients, carepartners, and clinicians. It guides thedevelopment of a user-friendly dashboard
with essential features, ensuring accurate
medication intake tracking and improved
medication adherence outcomes.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
lower income, and speaking English as a
Second Language.
Conclusions: Because diverse older adults
have experienced bias and/or hostility inresearch environments, it is crucial inrecruitment efforts, that researchers aretransparent, note efforts to avoid
discrimination, and build a sense of trust,
respect, and collaboration—antioppressive and “slow” research strategies.
While these efforts take more time andresources, they are necessary to ensure
research reflects the varied experiences ofdiverse older adults in Canada.
Navigating Ethical Considerations in RealTime Locating Systems Implementation
for People Living with Dementia in
Residential Care: A Person-Centered
Perspective (Poster #118)
Authors & Affiliations:
Andria Bianchi (Presenter)1
Alisa Grigorovich2
Lynn Haslam-Larmer1
Leia Shum1
Kristine Newman3
Andrea Iaboni1
Josephine McMurray4
1

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
University Health Network
2
Brock University
3
Toronto Metropolitan University
4
Wilfrid Laurier University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Real-time locating systems(RTLS) are rapidly gaining traction within
health and residential care settings totrack patients' movements and enhancecare provision. The primary objective of
this study is to examine the ethicalimplications of RTLS deployment in a longstay hospital unit or residential dementia
care setting.
Methods: Drawing from recent
implementation cases and relevant
research, we comprehensively analyze
ethical challenges related to adoption andclinical use of RTLS. Analyzing these issues
through a person-centred care (PCC) lensthat prioritizes humanistic approaches tocare that embraces collaborative decisionmaking and purposeful living andcontributes to understanding the ethicallandscape of RTLS use.
Results: Implementing RTLS in dementia
care demands careful consideration ofrelational ethics and values of choice andself-determination, dignity, and respect.
We found ethical tensions between
efficient care delivery and supporting
residents' rights, particularly in relation to
the balance between ensuring physicalsafety and preserving privacy. Respecting
assent and dissent and striving forcollaborative decision-making whichprioritizes tangible benefits to persons
living with dementia, is crucial for
maintaining a PCC philosophy.
Conclusions: This research underscores
the importance of incorporating ethicalconsiderations into RTLS implementation
strategies for residents with dementia. Byprioritizing residents' personhood,
healthcare organizations can ensure that
RTLS technology aligns with theircommitment to PCC. We offer
recommendations for the ethicalimplementation of RTLS in residential caresettings, and advocate for a deliberate
approach that aligns with broader culturechange initiatives aimed at improving thequality of dementia care, while harnessing
the advantages of technologicaladvancements.

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book

Continuous Acoustic Monitoring of COPD
in the Wild (Poster #120)
Authors & Affiliations:
Sejal Bhalla (Presenter)1
Salaar Liaqat
Robert Wu1
Andrea Gershon2
Eyal de Lara1
Alex Mariakakis
1
2

University of Toronto
Sunnybrook Health Sciences

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objective: We aim to understand thepotential of audio collected fromsmartwatches in predicting the daily
symptom severity of older COPD patients
at home.
Method: We conducted a study with 8
COPD patients recruited from threehospitals in Toronto, Canada, for an
average of 164 ± 92 days. We collected
continuous audio using a Samsung Galaxy
Watch and recorded daily COPD symptom
severity through the London COPD Cohort
Daily Symptom Questionnaire. The
aggregated daily symptom scores werebinarized into "low" or "high" based on a
threshold of 3. We developed a speechprocessing pipeline that combines voiceactivity detection and speaker verification
to isolate audio segments fromsmartwatch recordings that are suitable
for assessing the pulmonary condition of apatient. These speech segments are thentransformed into a sequence of
informative features, which is fed into a
Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for
classifying and predicting the clinicallyimportant daily COPD symptom severity

level (low vs. high) up to 4 days inadvance.
Results: Our system achieved an averagesensitivity of 0.79 ± 0.03 and a specificity
of 0.83 ± 0.05 per patient when classifying
their same-day symptom severity. It also
predicted the severity level up to 4 days inadvance with an average sensitivity of
0.75 ± 0.02 and a specificity of 0.74 ± 0.07.
Conclusions: We demonstrate that audio
collected from a smartwatch worn by
COPD patients in everyday life can beused to classify their current symptom
severity and predict it up to 4 days inadvance. This offers a non-invasive andconvenient way to continuously monitor
COPD, enabling timely interventions to
reduce exacerbations and hospitalizations.
mHealth apps for Dementia and
Alzheimer’s (Poster #122)
Authors & Affiliations:
Suad Ali
Hira Alizai
Delal Hagos
Sindy Ramos Rubio (Presenter)
Lora AppelYork University
Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
This study describes the state of available
mHealth apps related to dementiaprevention and risk factors, highlighting
gaps and proposing pathways for futureapplications. Following PRISMA guidelines,a systematic search was conducted from
Oct 19- Nov 2, 2022. A total of 1044
dementia-related apps were retrieved
across a comprehensive array of sources,from mobile app stores including iOS

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
store, Google Store, Samsung Store, andMicrosoft Store, peer-reviewed literature(including meta analyses and scoping
reviews on dementia-prevention), anddementia/Alzheimer’s/advocacy websites
such as Alzheimer's Society of Canada.
After screening and duplicate removal,
152 apps met inclusion criteria. Two
independent reviewers coded the apps
using an extraction framework which
included elements such as evidence basis
and expert credibility, lifestyle element(s),privacy/security, and an adapted Silberg
scale. Among the 152 apps, 57.9%
addressed a modifiable lifestyle behaviour
linked to reducing dementia risk, however
only 13% targeted multiple behaviours
simultaneously, which research suggests ismost impactful. Fifty-five percent of apps
scored 2 out of 9 on the Silberg scale,indicating room for improving
accountability. Apps had limited
disclosure of expert consultation (79.0%),
and author credentials (96.1%), and in
82.2% of apps there was no indication ofutilising evidence-based information,
demonstrating significant gaps intransparency. Furthermore, 69.2% of apps
did not disclose data privacy/security
practices. Opportunities exist for mHealthapps to support dementia-prevention bytargeting lifestyle behaviours, however
developing guidelines to address gaps intransparency, and credibility is necessary
for apps to be effective and scale
successfully.

Claire Andrews
Sara Aghvami
Neil Thomas1
Bruce Wallace2
Rafik Goubran2
Krista Whitney
1
2

Bruyère Research InstituteCarleton University

Displayed on October 26, 2023 from10:30am – 12:00pm ET
Objectives: Not all older adults (OA) haveequal access to or knowledge about
technology to facilitate aging in place.
Numerous conditions have been identified
that could facilitate this. Currently notools exist that occupational therapists orfamily members could use for the purposeof evaluating technology readiness for
OAs. Our group designed an OA
technology readiness tool, and theobjective of this project was to test it prior
to the implementation of technology
bundles in Ottawa, Canada.

Testing of a technology readiness tool
prior to installing Best Buy Health
Canada’s technology bundles for older
adults (Poster #124)

Methods: The tool includes backgroundsections on hearing/vision, type of
housing, and Wi-Fi/Internet
infrastructure. It assesses current
technology use of the OAs such as use ofsmart devices, use specifically for
instrumental activities of daily living, andlikelihood of technology use. Six OA
residents of a Bruyère Village volunteered
to have the tool tested on them. Tworesearch assistants collected the data andidentified the participant who could mostbenefit from the installation of two smart
displays, a Wi-Fi security camera, andsmart lighting.

Authors & Affiliations:Frank Knoefel (Presenter)1
Kelly Milne
M. Caroline Wiley

Results: It took approximately 30 minutes
to complete each questionnaire. It was
felt that 5 of 6 participants could benefit
from the bundles. The client selected for

AGE-WELL Annual Conference 2023 – Poster Abstract Book
the install was a 79-year-old female livingby herself. The tech bundles were
installed two days later. The client
benefited from Best Buy Canada’s Geek
Squad support, used the technology on aregular basis, and was happy with its
functionality.
Conclusions: The technology readinesstool was helpful in selecting an OA who
could benefit from these home techbundles.