Technology Interventions and Well-Being Enhancement in Residential Aged Care: A Scoping Review

Technology interventions have great potential to support the complex needs of older adults living in residential aged care, contributing to their general well-being. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of how different technological interventions contribute to the well-being of older adult residents in aged care settings. Specifically, the current objectives for digital interventions, the interaction mechanisms, and the evaluation of their impact on well-being are reviewed following the PRISMA guidelines. We included 26 studies since 2017 covering three databases discussing the impact of technological interventions on social connectedness and cognitive and emotional well-being, and the theoretical models of evaluation applied in these studies. Seven key interaction mechanisms with digital interventions with the objective to enhance social connections, stimulate cognitive functioning, and formulate new models and theories were identified. Our findings show the potential of enhancing the well-being of aged care residents. We discuss our findings under three lenses: User, relational, and contextual experiences, and suggest that these experience categories should inform the focus of future research. This review offers insights into the broader ethical, social, and contextual factors that influence their success, and that can guide future research, inform policy decisions, and improve care practices.