37th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded

Smart Home for Independent Living of the Elderly

Date & Time

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 - 3:20 PM PST

Location

Elite 1-3

Description

Introduction
In recent years, the smart home, a multifunctional home that uses information technology such as AI and sensors to make life more convenient, comfortable, and secure, has been attracting attention in various fields, especially in the United States. However, most smart home research tends to focus only on technical aspects and lack users' perspective. There are many possible causes for this, and one of the obvious factors is the lack of a clear definition, or a clear model, of the smart home.
On the other hand, the ratio of older adults in Japan has remained at the highest level among developed countries, and living support for the elderly is an urgent issue. However, due to the shortage of nursing staff, it is not possible to provide adequate care to all elderly. Therefore, smart homes for the elderly have been attracting attention to support the autonomous lives of the elderly.
In this research, the authors suggest a new smart home model for the elderly based on the users' views. The authors have interviewed staff of facilities for the elderly and the families of the elderly, who are assumed to be the users of a smart home.

Results of survey
Interview with staff at facilities for the elderly
The respondents were generally positive about the "emergency call system," which sends an emergency call to a pre-registered contact in case of an emergency for the elderly. Most interviewees said that the system could make up for the time when they were not checking on the safety of the elderly. Both positive and negative comments were made for the other items. As most of the respondents expressed their opinions from facility residents and staff, and their views sometimes differed greatly depending on their standpoint, further analysis will be needed.

Interview with the families of the elderly.
The demand for a smart home differed greatly depending on the older adult's condition, the residence's location, and the relationship, etc. For example, when the elderly person lives apart from the rest of the family, they expressed that "smart home facilities for the elderly are important because they have the potential to maintain the current lifestyle while remotely watching over them. On the other hand, if the elderly person and their family live next to each other, "the minimum level of equipment is sufficient because it is easy to confirm their safety by greeting them.
Furthermore, there were many needs for systems and facilities related to housework and meals.

Conclusion
The interviewees who wanted a smart home for the elderly differed greatly depending on the family's situation. Therefore, further study on the classification of each user's situation to some extent, prioritizing each equipment and system, and proposing a smart home model that suits the elderly is needed. The authors plan to continue the research to collect a variety of use-cases and clarify the smart home model for the independent living of the elderly.

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Audience

Information & Communications Technology
Government
Healthcare & Rehabilitation
Research & Development
Marketing

Audience Level

Intermediate

Session Summary (Abstract)

The authors suggest a new smart home model for the elderly based on the users' views. The authors have interviewed staff of facilities for the elderly and the families of the elderly, who are assumed to be the users of a smart home.

Session Type