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Falls are not an inevitable consequence of aging. The risk and rate of falls can be reduced. Recent improvements in smartphone technology enable implementation of a wide variety of services and applications, thus making the smartphone more of a digital companion than simply a communication tool. This paper presents the results obtained by the FARSEEING project where smartphones are one example of intervention in a population-based scenario. The applications developed take advantage of the smartphone-embedded inertial sensors and require that subjects wear the smartphone by means of a waist belt. The uFall Android application has been developed for monitoring the user's motor activities at home. The application does not require any direct interaction with the user and it is also capable of running a real-time fall-detection algorithm. uTUG is a stand-alone application for instrumenting the Timed Up and Go test, which is a test often included in fall risk assessment protocols. The application acts like a pocket-sized motion laboratory, since it is capable not only of recording the trial but also of processing the data and immediately displaying the results. uTUG is designed to be self-administrable at home.

Background Falls have implications for older adults’ health and well-being. Strength and balance interventions significantly reduce the risk of falls. However, patients do not always perform the unsupervised home exercise needed for fall reduction. Objective This study aims to develop motivational smartphone apps co-designed with health professionals and older adults to support patients to perform exercise proven to aid fall reduction and to explore the apps’ usability and acceptability with both health professionals and patients. Methods There were 3 phases of app development that included analysis, design, and implementation. For analysis, we examined the literature to establish key app components and had a consultation with 12 older adults attending a strength and balance class, exercise instructors, and 3 fall services. For design, we created prototype apps and conducted 2 patient and public involvement workshops, one with 5 health professionals and the second with 8 older adults from an exercise group. The apps were revised based on the feedback. For implementation, we tested them with one fall service and their patients for 3 weeks. Participatory evaluation was used through testing, semistructured interviews, and focus groups to explore acceptability and usability. Focus groups were conducted with the service that tested the apps and two other services. Qualitative data were analyzed using the framework approach. Results On the basis of findings from the literature and consultations in the analysis phase, we selected Behavior Change Techniques, such as goal setting, action planning, and feedback on behavior, to be key parts of the app. We developed goals using familiar icons for patients to select and add while self-reporting exercise and decided to develop 2 apps, one for patients (My Activity Programme) and one for health professionals (Motivate Me). This enabled health professionals to guide patients through the goal-setting process, making it more accessible to nontechnology users. Storyboards were created during the design phase, leading to prototypes of “Motivate Me” and “My Activity Programme.” Key changes from the workshops included being able to add more details about the patients’ exercise program and a wider selection of goals within “Motivate Me.” The overall app design was acceptable to health professionals and older adults. In total, 7 patients and 3 health professionals participated in testing in the implementation phase, with interviews conducted with 6 patients and focus groups, with 3 teams (11 health professionals). Barriers, facilitators, and further functionality were identified for both apps, with 2 cross-cutting themes around phone usability and confidence. Conclusions The motivational apps were found to be acceptable for older adults taking part in the design stage and patients and health professionals testing the apps in a clinical setting. User-led design is important to ensure that the apps are usable and acceptable.

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In this work, a flexible and extensive digital platform for Smart Homes is presented, exploiting the most advanced technologies of the Internet of Things, such as Radio Frequency Identification, wearable electronics, Wireless Sensor Networks, and Artificial Intelligence. Thus, the main novelty of the paper is the system-level description of the platform flexibility allowing the interoperability of different smart devices. This research was developed within the framework of the operative project HABITAT (Home Assistance Based on the Internet of Things for the Autonomy of Everybody), aiming at developing smart devices to support elderly people both in their own houses and in retirement homes, and embedding them in everyday life objects, thus reducing the expenses for healthcare due to the lower need for personal assistance, and providing a better life quality to the elderly users.