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Watching over me: positive, negative and neutral perceptions of in-home monitoring held by independent-living older residents in an Australian pilot study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2017

DANA KAI BRADFORD ,
YASMIN VAN KASTEREN ,
QING ZHANG  and
MOHAN KARUNANITHI
DANA KAI BRADFORD*
Affiliation:
Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies, Pullenvale, Queensland, Australia.
YASMIN VAN KASTEREN
Affiliation:
Adaptive Social and Economic Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia.
QING ZHANG
Affiliation:
Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
MOHAN KARUNANITHI
Affiliation:
Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Dana Kai Bradford, Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies, 1 Technology Court, Pullenvale, Queensland, 4069, Australia E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

With an increase in the proportion of Australians aged over 65, and high government expenditure on residential care, there is a strong imperative to find smart, safe solutions to support older people to stay in their own homes. There is a growing interest in Australia for assistive technologies that provide home monitoring to promote health and wellbeing. This solution will only be viable if it meets with the expectations of older residents and their families. In the first smart homes pilot in Australia, we sought to ascertain barriers and facilitators of this technology. There was an overall positive response to the system, despite a slight tendency for residents to modify their behaviour due to perceived surveillance. Positive outcomes included increases in family communication, health autonomy and advances in technology uptake. Our findings suggest that a combination of considered placement of in-home technology, straightforward medical devices and a supportive human element will ensure that the technology meets the balance of service provision and preservation of dignity. Smart homes could mitigate the challenges associated with aged care while affording peace of mind for seniors and families.

Keywords

aged carein-home monitoringassistive technologiessmart homesperceptions
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 38 , Issue 7 , July 2018 , pp. 1377 - 1398
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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