In China many older adults live remotely with their family because of the intercity or international migration. Intergenerational communication at a distance affects the quality of life of the older adults and their remote family. However, recent communication technologies seem not well adopted by older adults due to lack of consideration on their cognitive capabilities and life situations. This research project aims to understand the emotional needs of older adults when communicating with their remote family and explore design opportunities of helping older adults to engage in meaningful communication with their family members across different time and space. In particular, we look into IoT technologies that enable multimodal and asynchronous interactions which could contribute to the psychological and relational wellbeing of the older adults while/through communicating with their remote family. This research project pertains to the wider concerns of the digital divide and mental health issues faced by older adults.

More information please contact:

• Baihui Chen: chenbh@mail.sustech.edu.cn
• Xueliang Li: lixl6@sustech.edu.cn