Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106652

George Demiris, PhD¹, Marilyn Rantz, PhD, RN, FAAN², Marjorie Skubic, PhD³, Harry Tyrer, PhD³, and Myra A. Aud, PhD². (1) Department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri-Columbia, 324 Clark Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, (573) 882-5772, DemirisG@health.missouri.edu, (2) Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri-Columbia, S406 MU Sinclair School of Nursing, Columbia, MO 65211, (3) College of Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, 221 Engineering Building West, Columbia, MO 65211

The aim to meet older adults' desire to remain independent at home while controlling home health care costs has led to the development of “smart home” technologies. A smart home is a residence equipped with technology that enhances safety of patients at home and monitors their health conditions. If we fail to take the needs of older adults into consideration and instead design systems driven only by the features of current technology, we are at risk of adopting systems that are too closely associated with medical, and disempowering, models of older age. This study is a needs assessment that will provide the blueprint for the design of a system of devices and sensors to address the needs and concerns of older adults. We conducted 3 focus group sessions with 15 older adults to determine the types of sensors and devices that would constitute an acceptable smart home design. Themes discussed in these groups included participants' perceptions of the usefulness of devices and sensors in health related issues such as preventing or detecting falls, assisting with visual or hearing impairments, improving mobility, reducing isolation, managing medications, and monitoring of physiological parameters. The audiotapes were transcribed and a content analysis was performed. Areas where advanced technologies would benefit older adult residents, included emergency help, prevention and detection of falls, monitoring of physiological parameters, etc. Concerns were expressed about the user-friendliness of the devices, lack of human response and the need for training tailored to older learners.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives

• To introduce senior citizens' needs and expectations of assistive technologies
• To analyze the design and implementation challenges for smart home facilities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation