Aging in Place with Smart Home Technology

Abstract

This paper evaluates technologies currently available for aging in place and considerations that might limit homeowners from considering or using technology that would allow a homeowner to age in place or prolong the length of time a homeowner can safely live at home. It reports the results of a small-scale qualitative study of aging-in-place-certified residential builders and homeowners who are either currently aging in place, planning to age in place, or caring for another person who is aging in place. The majority of responding homeowners were unaware of existing technology or conflated mobility-assistive devices and home retrofits with aging-in-place technology. Another concern is that the population of adults who might currently benefit from aging-in-place technology may have an inherent distrust of the technology due to privacy concerns or a fear that these technologies would lead to decreased face-to-face human interactions. The study results indicate the need to better educate those planning to age in place about the available technologies. In addition, a review of current research indicates a need for those developing new technologies to address privacy and de-socialization concerns. Keywords: Aging in Place, Smart Home Technology, Accessibility, Retrofit