Title: Sustainable product development for elderly: optimising functional abilities

Authors: Ravi Kumar Gupta; Alzahraa Rami Alhyari

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur 303007, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur 303007, India; Department of Industrial Engineering, The University of Jordan, Amman 11934, Jordan

Abstract: Healthy ageing means being able to do the things we value the most and is not related to the absence of illness. This paper utilises design as a powerful tool affecting all aspects of life, which means if we provide enough products that suit the changes related to ageing, elderly people will be able to optimise their functional abilities independently, and as a result, healthy ageing. This paper discusses the approach of adaptation of the existing products through modifications and extensions to suit the behaviour of the older adult population. Furthermore, this approach is supported by a case study that shows how diapers are modified in the same factory to meet the needs of the elderly population by altering the diaper's shape, materials and the associated production line.

Keywords: healthy ageing; product design for elderly; taxonomy; functional ability; elderly.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLM.2022.127116

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2022 Vol.14 No.4, pp.350 - 366

Received: 31 Dec 2021
Received in revised form: 03 Aug 2022
Accepted: 18 Aug 2022
Published online: 22 Nov 2022 *

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