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Review
. 2020 Apr 14;21(3):514-525.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2020.4.47372.

15 Smartphone Apps for Older Adults to Use While in Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Swechya Banskota  1 , Margaret Healy  2 , Elizabeth M Goldberg  3   4
Affiliations
Review

15 Smartphone Apps for Older Adults to Use While in Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Swechya Banskota et al. West J Emerg Med. .

Abstract

The maintenance of well-being, healthcare, and social connection is crucial for older adults (OA) and has become a topic of debate as much of the world faces lockdown during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. OAs have been advised to isolate themselves because they are at higher risk for developing serious complications from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Additionally, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities across the country have closed their doors to visitors to protect their residents. Mobile technology such as applications (apps) could provide a valuable tool to help families stay connected, and to help OAs maintain mobility and link them to resources that encourage physical and mental well-being. Apps could address cognitive, visual, and hearing impairments. Our objective was to narratively summarize 15 apps that address physical and cognitive limitations and have the potential to improve OAs' quality of life, especially during social distancing or self-quarantine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. No author has professional or financial relationships with any companies that are relevant to this study. There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Inclusion and exclusion criteria for 15 smartphone apps for older adults to use during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. COVID, coronavirus disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
15 smartphone apps for older adults to use daily while in isolation during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Healy J, Richtel M, Baker M. Nursing homes becoming islands of isolation amid ‘shocking’ mortality rate. The New York Times. [Accessed March 19, 2020]. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/coronavirus-nursing-homes-washingt....
    1. Schoch D. Families worried about loved ones in nursing homes amid coronavirus. AARP; [Accessed March 19, 2020]. Available at: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/health/info-2020/preventing-coronavirus-....
    1. Preparing for COVID-19 long-term care facilities, nursing homes. CDC; [Accessed March 19, 2020]. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/healthcare-facilities/prevent-....
    1. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. World Health Organization; [Accessed March 21, 2020]. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.
    1. Quinn CC, Staub S, Barr E, et al. Mobile support for older adults and their caregivers: dyad usability study. J Med Internet Res. 2019;21(5):e12276. - PMC - PubMed

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