scholarly journals PERCEPTIONS, ACCEPTABILITY, EXPECTATIONS, AND CONCERNS OF SMART HOME TECHNOLOGIES AMONG OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S881-S882
Author(s):  
Amy Guan ◽  
Hannah C Dannewitz ◽  
Lauren Stratton ◽  
Jennifer Margrett ◽  
Walter R Boot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Smart Appliances ◽  
Optimal Aging ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

Abstract Optimal aging in place has become a common preference among older adults to maintain identity and independence, thus smart home technologies are increasingly utilized to achieve these goals. However, disconnect may exist between potential technological benefit and perceptions of acceptability and usability (Lee & Coughlin, 2015). We assessed perceptions of adults aged 50+ (range 50-90 years) to analyze their priorities and ultimate acceptability of smart home technology. Data were collected through surveys, focus groups, and case study interviews. Three major themes emerged regarding smart home utilization: benefits, concerns, and expectations. Participants endorsed smart home technologies (e.g., sensors, telehealth devices) and identified benefits, such as the promotion of optimal aging (e.g., maintaining independence, staying active, safety). However, responses also reflected concerns about privacy, ease of use, and amount of control. Expectations regarding smart homes included more mobility, efficiency, and safety within the home. One participant described technology as having “options [that] are exhausting, but also exciting.” Survey responses (n=30) were analyzed to understand participants’ familiarity with smart home technologies, including: nanotechnology (10.7%), smart showers (42.9%), home sensors (70.4%), telehealth (74.1%), smart appliances (71.4%), personal sensors (81.5%), and voice-activated devices (96.4%). Additionally, respondents indicated their willingness to implement these technologies to maintain and/or improve their daily functioning: nanotechnology (53.8%), smart showers (28.6%), home sensors (66.6%), telehealth (81.5%), smart appliances (40.0%), personal sensors (55.5%), voice-activated devices (64.3%). Discussion focuses on the priorities and needs older adults express regarding technology utilization and the implications for person-centered design and implementation of future smart home technologies.

scholarly journals SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MOBILITY DISABILITIES: POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S878-S878
Author(s):  
Kenneth A Blocker ◽  
Lyndsie M Koon ◽  
Travis Kadylak ◽  
Widya A Ramadhani ◽  
Roshanak Khaleghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Instructional Support ◽  
Digital Home ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

Abstract Recently, there has been a significant expansion in the number of smart and connected technologies for assisting individuals with a variety of tasks within the home. Examples include digital home assistants (e.g., Amazon Echo), smart lights, smart plugs, robotic vacuums, as well as a multitude of other devices. Such technologies hold the potential to support independence for older adults with long-term mobility disabilities, as they may experience challenges engaging in daily activities. The aim of the current study was to utilize a comprehensive approach with an interdisciplinary team to improve understanding of how to integrate smart technology into older adults’ homes. We focused on identifying functionality that would be useful to them, understanding their perceptions, and developing instructional support. We conducted interviews among older adults with, and without, long-term mobility disabilities to better understand their attitudes towards digital assistants, identify needs for instructional support, and test the usability of our instructional protocol. The overall goal of this research is to improve understanding of older adults’ perceptions of these technologies and identify usability challenges within the home. The instructional protocol offers support by reducing the identified barriers to initial adoption and continued use to promote aging-in-place and improving overall quality of life for older adults with long-term mobility disabilities.

The Function of Representation in a "Smart Home Context"

2009 ◽  
pp. 2376-2389
Author(s):  
Mats Edenius
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Context Information ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Modern Age ◽  
Home Context ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

In our society, we seem almost completely engaged in a variety of representational processes. By rendering events and processes “still”, they can be more easily manipulated and transferred into a stock of movable resources which can provide the possibility to control. It is in that context information technology can give us power. In this article it is argued that in order to understand information technology we must begin with representation. I will illustrate such a perspective by a case study that puts a smart home-technology in focus and exemplifies how it may let us deeper our knowledge about IT, how that knowledge is constructed, knowledge is constructed, what actors are involved, what drives them and what kinds of issues are at stake. Antiquity had been a civilization of spectacle. “To render accessible to a multitude of men the inspection of a small number of objects”: this was the problem to which the architecture of temples, theatres and circuses responded. With spectacle, there was a predominance of public life, the intensity of festivals, sensual proximity. In these rituals in which blood flowed, society found new vigour and formed for a moment a single great body. The modern age poses the opposite problem: “To procure for a small number, or even for a single individual, the instantaneous view of a great multitude”. (Foucault, 1977, p. 216)

scholarly journals Experiences of Older Adults Using Smart-Home Technology in a Senior-Living Community

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (4_Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 7311515305p1
Author(s):  
Karen Sames ◽  
Jennifer Hutson ◽  
Skye Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

scholarly journals An Aging-focused Heuristic Evaluation of Home Automation Controls

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-10
Author(s):  
Jeremy Lopez ◽  
Claire Textor ◽  
W. Braxton Hicks ◽  
Makenzie Pryor ◽  
Anne Collins McLaughlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Heuristic Evaluation ◽  
Low Contrast ◽  
Agent Interactions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Voice User ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

Smart home technology can help older adults maintain independent lifestyles. Recent technological advancements have made smart home technology less expensive and more attainable for the average consumer. Older adults with limited technology experience can benefit from smart home systems with more natural interactions. One such example is the smart speaker, a device with a voice user interface. However, smart speakers are not explicitly designed for older adult use, thereby raising usability concerns. We conducted a heuristic evaluation of a smart speaker system. The results revealed several violations of both Nielsen’s and additional heuristics. Voiced agent interactions were rigid, unnatural, and uninformative. The companion mobile application was difficult to navigate and used low-contrast imagery. Future considerations of age-related differences will make smart speakers and other voice-user interfaces more usable for the aging population.

scholarly journals Profiles and Predictors of Smart Home Technology Adoption by Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 247-256
Author(s):  
Sajay Arthanat ◽  
John Wilcox ◽  
Mackenzie Macuch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Home Security ◽  
Function Impairment ◽  
Client Factors ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Readiness To Adopt ◽  
Home Technology

The commercial popularity of smart home (SH) technology has broadened the scope of aging-in-place and home health occupational therapy. The objective of this article is to examine ownership of SH technology by older adults, their readiness to adopt SH technology, and identify the client factors relating to the adoption. A survey of older adults aged 60 and above living in the community was conducted. Respondents ( N = 445) who were women; in the age group of 60 to 70 years; living in a two-level home, with a body function impairment; with a fall history; and experienced in information and communication technology (ICT) were significantly likely to be “brisk adopters” of SH ( p < .05). Stepwise regression model identified marital status, home security, and overall ICT ownership as the predictors of SH ownership, whereas being female, concern over home security, and perceived independence contributed to SH readiness ( p < .05). Consideration of the identified client profiles, health, and personal factors will strengthen SH integration for aging-in-place.

Ethical Considerations Regarding the Use of Smart Home Technologies for Older Adults: An Integrative Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Chung ◽  
George Demiris ◽  
Hilaire J. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
Home Technology ◽  
Smart Home Technology

Problem: With the wide adoption and use of smart home applications, there is a need for examining ethical issues regarding smart home use at the intersection of aging, technology, and home environment. Purpose: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of ethical considerations and the evidence on these ethical issues based on an integrative literature review with regard to the utilization of smart home technologies by older adults and their family members. Review Design and Methods: We conducted an integrative literature review of the scientific literature from indexed databases (e. g., MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). The framework guiding this review is derived from previous work on ethical considerations related to telehealth use for older adults and smart homes for palliative care. Key ethical issues of the framework include privacy, informed consent, autonomy, obtrusiveness, equal access, reduction in human touch, and usability. Results: Six hundred and thirty-five candidate articles were identified between the years 1990 and 2014. Sixteen articles were included in the review. Privacy and obtrusiveness issues appear to be the most important factors that can affect smart home technology adoption. In addition, this article recommends that stigmatization and reliability and maintenance of the system are additional factors to consider. Implications: When smart home technology is used appropriately, it has the potential to improve quality of life and maintain safety among older adults, ultimately supporting the desire of older adults for aging in place. The ability to respond to potential ethical concerns will be critical to the future development and application of smart home technologies that aim to enhance safety and independence.

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