Smart-Home Technologies to Assist Older People to Live Well at Home

Abstract

Background: With the rapid population ageing that is occurring worldwide , there is increasing interest in "smart home" technologies that can assist older adults to continue living at home with safety and independence. This systematic review and critical evaluation of the world wide literature assesses the effectiveness and feasibility of smart-home technologies for promoting independence, health, well-being and quality of life, in older adults. Methods: A total of 1877 "smart home" publications were identified by the initial search of peer reviewed journals. Of these, 21 met our inclusion criteria for the review and were subject to data extraction and quality assessment. Results: Smart-home technologies included different types of active and passive sensors, monitoring devices, robotics and environmental control systems. One study assessed effectiveness of a smart home technology. Sixteen reported on the feasibility of smart-home technology and four were observational studies. Conclusion: Older adults were reported to readily accept smart-home technologies, especially if they benefited physical activity, independence and function and if privacy concerns were addressed. Given the modest number of objective analyses, there is a need for further scientific analysis of a range of smart home technologies to promote community living.

Insights into the Impact of Implementing a Smart House on Special Needs People in the UAE

“…The contradiction is evident in another interview; where all 18 participants expressed that many smart houses consider monitoring systems and video cameras as a primary sensor. At the same time, they felt that it invaded their privacy and felt they were being watched (Portet et al, 2013;Morris et al, 2014). However, these forms of technology were thought to increase safety and security around the home.…”

“…In a systematic literature review, many participants felt that smart technologies may help to improve their independence. While it was not formally addressed in the identified studies, it is possible that improvements in safety, security and independence may also have a positive effect on quality of life (Morris et al, 2014).…”

“…Moving on, the health of older people typically weakens with increasing age. It leads to greater demand and interest for long-term care and support from the government and relatives to be able to promote independent living and safety life (Labonnote and Høyland, 2015;Morris et al, 2014). Moreover, smart home technologies can sometimes enable people, like senior citizens and those with disabilities, to live in their home rather than being hospitalized.…”

“…Moreover, smart home technologies can sometimes enable people, like senior citizens and those with disabilities, to live in their home rather than being hospitalized. Also, their aim is usually to perform functions without disturbing the user and without causing any pain, inconvenience or movement restrictions (Morris et al, 2014).…”

Competitive Agents for Intelligent Home Automation

“…Especially assistance systems, e.g., for elderly people and those who need a constant monitoring, play a significant role [2,14]. As functionality becomes more sophisticated and the number of devices increases, a key challenge lies in the reduction of complexity for the naive user.…”