Integration of Ambient Assistive Living Technologies in Elderly Care: Lessons Learned from a Longitudinal Study (Preprint)

Abstract

UNSTRUCTURED Healthcare advancements have significantly extended life expectancy, marking a commendable achievement for humanity. Despite this, a variety of factors, chief among them being low birth rates, have led to a prevalent trend where most older adults live alone. In response to this challenge, ambient assistive living technologies emerge as a groundbreaking solution, promising to support older adults in maintaining a thriving life within the comfort of their own homes. Many such ambient assistive living technologies have been designed and tested. However, there appears to be a lack of long-term evaluation studies, with only a handful addressing the outcomes and challenges of real-life deployments. Deploying elderly-friendly smart home technologies needs a lot of preparation and operational problem-solving. This paper describes the lessons learned in the preparation, deployment, maintenance, and dismantling of a deployment site in Singapore. The lessons learned focus on actionable strategies to facilitate the routine embedding of ambient assistive living technologies in the care of older adults.