IS4WB_SC 2025 Abstracts

Area 1 - Innovative Strategies to Enhance Older Adults' Well-being and Social Connections
Full Papers Short Papers

Area 1 - Innovative Strategies to Enhance Older Adults' Well-being and Social Connections

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 5
Title:

Bridging Generations: The Role of Digital Media in Fostering Intergenerational Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
Authors:

Ana Carla Amaro and Ligia Kallas
Abstract: This exploratory study investigates the role of digital media and technology in shaping intergenerational relationships between grandparents and grandchildren, focusing on knowledge exchange and collaborative interactions. Seventeen participants, consisting of eight grandparents (aged 60–75) and nine grandchildren (aged 10–18), were involved in a gamified escape room activity designed to foster collaboration. The activity required participants to solve riddles using digital tools such as smartphones, mobile apps, and social media, followed by semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences. Results revealed a reciprocal learning process, where grandchildren often guided grandparents in technology use while grandparents shared cultural knowledge and traditional skills. The activity highlighted the complementary strengths of both generations, with grandparents contributing with historical knowledge and grandchildren offering technological expertise. Despite technological anxiety and generational differences in digital proficiency, the study found that structured activities like the escape room can enhance collaboration and strengthen intergenerational bonds. Depending on its use, technology emerged as both a facilitator of connection and a potential barrier. The findings suggest that digital tools can significantly bridge generational gaps, promote mutual learning, and foster deeper intergenerational relationships.
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Paper Nr: 6
Title:

Television Is Powerful: An iTV Solution as a Motivator of Social Interactions Among Older Adults
Authors:

Gabriel Faria, Telmo Silva and Jorge Abreu
Abstract: This study explores the development of and evaluation of ProSeniorTV, an interactive television system designed to enhance social participation and cognitive engagement among older adults. Leveraging a familiar medium for older individuals – the television – the system incorporates proactive notifications to inform users about local social events and cognitive stimulation minigames to foster regular interactions. A 30-day field study conducted with 20 participants demonstrated promising results. Participants attended an average of 1.4 events, reflecting a 35% engagement rate with suggested activities. Notably, 95% of users recognised the system’s effectiveness in providing accessible information about local events, reducing reliance on other sources. Additionally, ProSeniorTV contributed to significant decreases in reported loneliness levels, with moderate loneliness dropping from 60% to 30%, and all participants reporting enhanced social connection by the study’s conclusion. The inclusion of gamification elements, such as a leaderboard and participation rewards, proved effective in motivating sustained interaction. While mobility challenges and transportation reliance were identified as barriers, the system’s overall usability and impact align with active ageing principles, supporting its potential for broader implementation. ProSeniorTV underscores the value of innovative technologies in addressing social isolation and promoting healthier ageing.
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Paper Nr: 8
Title:

Connection Between the Real World and the Digital World: Voice Assistants as Promoters of Socialization for Older Adults
Authors:

Juliana Camargo, Telmo Silva and Jorge Ferraz de Abreu
Abstract: Socialization is crucial for the mental and emotional well-being of older adults, combating isolation and loneliness. In a digital world, voice assistants provide a simple, intuitive interface that enhances social engagement. These technologies facilitate communication with family and friends while offering activities that stimulate cognition and emotional connection. This paper explores the potential of voice assistants to promote socialization among older adults, focusing on their role in creating intergenerational connections and improving quality of life. The study presents findings from HUGTV - Helping Unite Generations through TV, a pilot project that demonstrates how voice assistants foster positive social interactions and emotional support in senior communities. The results of 12 tests conducted with participants in their homes show that voice commands effectively bridge the real and digital worlds, enabling seniors to converse on various topics, search the internet, and send voice and text messages, tasks they previously did not engage in.
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Paper Nr: 9
Title:

Human Fall Detection in Poor Lighting Conditions Using CNN-Based Model
Authors:

Md. Sabir Hossain and Md. Mahfuzur Rahman
Abstract: Human fall detection for elderly care has become a crucial field of research as it can cause serious injuries and impact the quality of life. In this article, we present a deep learning-based approach for human fall detection in low-lighting conditions using a convolutional neural network (CNN). We trained and evaluated our model on multiple datasets, both annotated for fall detection. The proposed architecture captures and analyzes the falls-related features effectively, even in achieving a significant amount of precision, recall, and F1-scores for human fall detection. Moreover, our proposed architecture outperforms (91% accuracy) several state-of-the-art models, including ResNet50, InceptionV3, MobileNet, XceptionNet, VGG16, VGG19, and DenseNet. With a reliable human fall detection architecture, this research significantly contributes to enhancing safety measures for elderly individuals.
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Paper Nr: 11
Title:

DanceMove: Promoting Social Interaction and Healthy Ageing Through Foot-Interaction
Authors:

Ceci Diehl, Telmo Silva, Jorge Ferraz, Ana Almeida, Ana Martins, Óscar Ribeiro, Gonçalo Santinha, Nelson Rocha and Anabela G. Silva
Abstract: Foot interaction, which involves using foot movements to control digital systems, has been explored as an alternative input method in several digital solutions, especially in video games. In particular, dance mats and pressure-sensitive platforms have been used to enable older adults to engage with technology, promoting movement and overall well-being. Despite the new forms of interaction, these technologies are often designed for younger audiences, presenting challenges for older players. To address these challenges, the game DanceMove was developed as part of the SHAPES project (EU Horizon 2020) with a user interface specifically designed to meet the characteristics and needs of older adults. This study presents the design and evaluation of DanceMove’s user interface, which integrates customizable choreography, adaptable difficulty levels, and music selection to enhance accessibility and engagement. The interface was tested with older adults using the Think-Aloud Protocol and the Self-Assessment Manikin method to assess usability, engagement, and emotional response. Results indicate that participants found the game enjoyable and motivating, although some required additional support for balance and confidence. The findings highlight the potential of foot-based games to promote physical activity, cognitive stimulation and social interaction among older adults, while also identifying challenges related to usability and resistance to new technologies.
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Paper Nr: 12
Title:

The Role of Embodied Conversational Agents in Supporting Older Adults with Hypertension: A Focus Group Study
Authors:

Julio Oliveira, Telmo Silva, Rita Oliveira and Elizabeth Furtado
Abstract: This paper investigates the essential tasks for Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) to engage Older Adults in hypertension treatment effectively. The research addresses the growing need for innovative solutions to support aging populations and explores the potential of ECA to provide cognitive, emotional, and practical support. The central research question focuses on identifying the key tasks an ECA should perform to assist Older Adults in managing their hypertension. Through a Focus Group (FG) with healthcare professionals, the study identifies ten key tasks for ECA support, encompassing pharmacological (medication adherence and tracking) and non-pharmacological (dietary monitoring, exercise promotion, disease education, and communication facilitation) aspects of hypertension management. The FG was held online with seven participants (5 participants and 2 User Experience Specialists) in January 2023. The paper also discusses the broader challenges and considerations related to ECA engagement for Older Adults, including ethical concerns, user acceptance, and the importance of personalized and empathetic interactions. The findings emphasize the need for a tailored ECA design that considers individual patient needs, medical history, and preferences to maximize effectiveness and promote successful hypertension management.
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Paper Nr: 14
Title:

Enhancing Older Adults’ Well-Being Through QoS-Aware Edge-Cloud eHealth Applications
Authors:

Md Mahfuzur Rahman
Abstract: Ensuring the well-being of older adults using eHealth applications has become increasingly important. Continuous health monitoring, emergency response, and various personalized applications can improve the well-being of the older adults through intelligent and adaptive data processing. But, the effectiveness of such systems highly depends on the provisioning of efficient computing resources that meet Quality of Service (QoS) requirements (of the applications), including low latency, faster computation, reliability, and security. Leveraging Edge-Cloud Computing can offer a promising solution but an effective strategy is required to understand the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of applications while offloading in Edge-Cloud Computing. Previous research lacks in focusing predicted behaviour of application workloads (and related QoS) while scheduled on the Edge-Cloud platform. This research addresses this issue by proposing a scalable model facilitating resource allocation based on the specific future requirements of data processing tasks. In this research, an efficient heuristic algorithm is developed to maximize meeting the QoS constraints. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is evaluated through simulations comparing its performance against existing methods, thereby facilitating improved service delivery and user satisfaction.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 13
Title:

Dignified Aging: Experience Report at the Municipal Council for the Rights of the Elderly of Rio De Janeiro (COMDEPI-RIO)
Authors:

Vanessa Pinto, Maria João Antunes and Tânia Valente
Abstract: The paper presents insights from the experience of serving as a government representative on the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Council for the Rights of the Elderly (COMDEPI-RIO) in 2023. The objective was to analyze the management of municipal public policies from the perspective of equitable participation, considering criteria such as the selection of representatives, speeches by council members, and participatory evaluation of actions. The methodology adopted combined participant observation with documentary analysis, including the review of laws, minutes, and internal regulations, in addition to direct monitoring of regular and extraordinary meetings and council activities, such as technical visits and decentralized assemblies. The results pointed to significant challenges in implementing public policies aligned with national legal requirements. Weaknesses were identified in intersectoral coordination, with overlapping competencies between the federal, state, and municipal levels, in addition to budgetary limitations that directly impacted the execution of the municipal action plan for the elderly. A predominance of government voices was observed in the deliberations, marginalizing the contributions of civil society. The conclusions highlight the need to strengthen integration between government levels, expand social participation through more inclusive tools, and invest in ongoing training for council members.
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