The Gerontologist · 2 authors, 3 centres
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This study analyzed 120 U.S. patents issued in 2021 for older adults and found three themes: Preventive Health, Safety, and Independence (49.2%), Anti-Aging (38.3%), and Pathologization of Old Age (12.5%). While many innovations aim to improve well-being and independence, a substantial portion reflects ageist views that treat aging as a problem to be solved. The findings highlight the need for more age-friendly innovations that embrace the aging experience.
**Background:** As the global population ages, there is an urgent need for innovations that cater to older adults. However, the types of inventions being developed for this demographic have not been systematically studied. This study uses patents as a proxy for inventive activity to understand the latest innovations designed for older people and the messages about old age they convey.
**Methods:** The authors collected all patents (N = 326) issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2021 (January 5 to December 28) that contained age-related terms in their title or abstract. After removing irrelevant patents (e.g., those about aging wine), 120 patents were retained. Two researchers trained in gerontology conducted a content analysis using both inductive and deductive approaches. Interrater reliability was high: percentage agreement 95.5%, weighted Cohen's kappa 0.92 (p < .001).
**Key Results:** Three themes emerged from the analysis: - Theme 1: "Preventive Health, Safety, and Independence" – 49.2% (N = 59) of patents. These focused on promoting physiological health, safety, and independence, including inventions such as a manually actuated drug-injecting device for elderly patients with reduced finger strength, a multimedia fall prevention system, a shower spray chair apparatus, and a personalized lifestyle and nutrition program. - Theme 2: "Anti-Aging" – 38.3% (N = 46) of patents. These centered on treating cutaneous signs of aging (e.g., wrinkles, fine lines) and included anti-aging compositions, compounds for lightening skin, and substances claiming to slow or reverse aging. Verbs such as "inhibit," "delay," and "repair" were common. - Theme 3: "Pathologization of Old Age" – 12.5% (N = 15) of patents. These positioned aging as a disease or symptom to be treated, listing "aging" alongside conditions like Alzheimer's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Examples included inhibitors of ALCAT1 for treating aging and resveratrol compositions for aging and other diseases.
**Clinical Implications:** This study reveals that while nearly half of the patented innovations aim to support healthy aging and independence, over a third are driven by anti-aging ideals that stigmatize natural aging, and more than 10% pathologize old age as a disease. These findings have implications for product development, public health messaging, and the design of age-friendly environments. The authors recommend involving older adults in design processes, focusing on coping with age-related decline rather than reversing aging, leveraging technology for social connectedness, and including gerontologists in innovation teams. The study underscores the need to harness innovation to build a society that embraces all facets of the aging experience without ageist biases.