Longevity Conferences 2023
January 19, 2023
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Age simulating suits: Understanding challenges the elderly face
Gerhardy et al. studied the impact of wearing age simulation suits on healthcare students, assessing 26 studies from the last 20 years. They revealed two results.
Age simulation suits (ASimS) have been around since the 1990s. Initially, these suits were developed by engineers in the automotive industry to promote their understanding of physical limitations caused by age. This would help them design cars to fit that age group's needs.
Later, this technology was adopted into other areas, like gerontology. In this domain, it was utilized in educational programs to raise awareness about limitations associated with aging, reduce negative attitudes toward older adults, and promote empathy toward them in caregiving settings. The primary target groups for AsimS were healthcare professionals, caregivers, and younger generations. This way, these groups better understand motor, sensory, and auditory limitations associated with aging, improving their opinion toward older adults and their care. Various devices like goggles, earpieces, and weights are used to mimic the effects of aging.
In their systematic review, Gerhardy et al. assessed the available literature to achieve two objectives;
- To assess the physical and psychological outcomes of wearing AsimS.
- To analyze the AsimS’s validity regarding various age-related impairments.
The authors included 26 studies spanning 20 years (2001 to 2021) in their assessment. The testing population was mostly students in the healthcare field. Sensory and physical restrictions were done using weights, goggles, and earpieces.
The results for the first objective revealed that ASimS wearers developed a sense of empathy and a positive attitude toward older adults. Further analysis demonstrated that wearing AsimS resulted in physical limitations and decreased wearer performance. Regarding the second objective, results highlighted that wearing ASimS reduced physical performance, but not to the extent that represents adults aged 65 years and above.
The authors concluded that utilizing AsimS in educational settings could provide a better understanding of the aging process. However, further research is needed in this domain to capture a more realistic simulation that provides a more pronounced experience.
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Age simulation suits (ASimS) have been around since the 1990s. Initially, these suits were developed by engineers in the automotive industry to promote their understanding of physical limitations caused by age. This would help them design cars to fit that age group's needs.
Later, this technology was adopted into other areas, like gerontology. In this domain, it was utilized in educational programs to raise awareness about limitations associated with aging, reduce negative attitudes toward older adults, and promote empathy toward them in caregiving settings. The primary target groups for AsimS were healthcare professionals, caregivers, and younger generations. This way, these groups better understand motor, sensory, and auditory limitations associated with aging, improving their opinion toward older adults and their care. Various devices like goggles, earpieces, and weights are used to mimic the effects of aging.
In their systematic review, Gerhardy et al. assessed the available literature to achieve two objectives;
- To assess the physical and psychological outcomes of wearing AsimS.
- To analyze the AsimS’s validity regarding various age-related impairments.
The authors included 26 studies spanning 20 years (2001 to 2021) in their assessment. The testing population was mostly students in the healthcare field. Sensory and physical restrictions were done using weights, goggles, and earpieces.
The results for the first objective revealed that ASimS wearers developed a sense of empathy and a positive attitude toward older adults. Further analysis demonstrated that wearing AsimS resulted in physical limitations and decreased wearer performance. Regarding the second objective, results highlighted that wearing ASimS reduced physical performance, but not to the extent that represents adults aged 65 years and above.
The authors concluded that utilizing AsimS in educational settings could provide a better understanding of the aging process. However, further research is needed in this domain to capture a more realistic simulation that provides a more pronounced experience.
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Dr. Ana Baroni MD. Ph.D.
Scientific & Medical Advisor
Quality Garant
Ana has over 20 years of consultancy experience in longevity, regenerative and precision medicine. She has a multifaceted understanding of genomics, molecular biology, clinical biochemistry, nutrition, aging markers, hormones and physical training. This background allows her to bridge the gap between longevity basic sciences and evidence-based real interventions, putting them into the clinic, to enhance the healthy aging of people. She is co-founder of Origen.life, and Longevityzone. Board member at Breath of Health, BioOx and American Board of Clinical Nutrition. She is Director of International Medical Education of the American College of Integrative Medicine, Professor in IL3 Master of Longevity at Barcelona University and Professor of Nutrigenomics in Nutrition Grade in UNIR University.
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