Future of AgeTech: Transdisciplinary Considerations for Equity, Intersectionality, Sustainability, and Social Justice

As societies experience the rapid demographic shift towards increased older adult populations, more health and social wellbeing efforts are being invested in the shape of AgeTech – at the individual level, to better support older adults to live well longer, and at the societal level, to offset financial and human-resource costs to care. For these reasons, AgeTech products, services and supports are ever more pervasive within health and social care systems worldwide. Yet, there has been limited action-oriented discussions and plans to develop ethical design, digital equity and policy pathways for sustainable AgeTech through assessing the intended impact and unintended consequences of a digitization on the everyday realities of older people. Critical dialogue on how AgeTech solutions can be cultivated to drive practical, equitable, and inclusive multilevel solutions to support healthy and active aging is needed. In this paper, the key social justice disparities that may unintentionally increase the vulnerability of older adults are discussed, and promising intersectional pathways regarding the ways in which we can enhance digital equity and sustainability for future AgeTech development are provided.