Research progress and visual analysis of smart wearable devices for the elderly in the context of ageing 4.0

Background The world's population is ageing quickly, making managing older people's health more difficult. Although smart wearable devices (SWDs) have gained attention as possible instruments for enhancing health outcomes in this population, it is still uncertain how useful and long-lasting they will be. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to methodically evaluate the advancement of academic research and development concerning SWDs for the aged, with an emphasis on the effects these diseases have on quality of life, illness prevention, and health management. Method: 649 publications published in the Web of Science Core Collection between 2013 and 2023 underwent bibliometric analysis. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were used to assess topic changes, publishing trends, and citation patterns. Co-citation analysis was used to pinpoint important literature and research focus clusters. Results The results show a notable rise in publications about SWDs for the aged, emphasising essential topics, including fall detection, technology adoption, and healthcare applications. According to the report, multidisciplinary research integration is expanding, and publications like IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL and SENSORS-BASEL are making significant contributions. Conclusion The research emphasises the crucial need to conduct long-term monitoring studies to verify the health advantages of SWDs for senior citizens. It highlights the necessity for user-centred design and urges future research to concentrate on improving wearable technology accuracy to maximise its usefulness in managing geriatric health.