Andrew Sixsmith

An evaluation of an intelligent home monitoring system.

A trial was performed of an intelligent monitoring system which used sensors in the home to identify emergencies by detecting deviations from normal activity patterns. The field trial lasted three months. Twentytwo elderly people agreed to participate. Their ages ranged from early 60s to over 85, with two-thirds in the age range 75-84 years. They lived in four different localities within the UK-Ipswich, Northumberland, Merseyside and Nottingham. A total of 61 alerts was recorded, at a mean frequency about one alert per month per client. Of the 61 alerts generated, 46 were classified as false alerts and the other 15 as genuine, although no real emergencies occurred during the study. Many people in the field trial reported enhanced feelings of safety and security, which could help to stimulate independence and help them to remain living in their own homes. The monitoring system increased the care choices available to elderly people and supported and enhanced the carers role.

Music and the wellbeing of people with dementia

While therapeutic interventions involving music have been shown to have benefits for people with dementia, little research has examined the role of music and music-related activities in their everyday lives. This paper presents the results of qualitative research that explored this role in terms of: the meaning and importance of music in everyday life; the benefits derived from participation in music-related activities; and the problems of engaging with music. Data were collected during in-depth interviews with 26 people with dementia and their carers, who lived either in their own homes or in residential care in different parts of England. The paper illustrates the many different ways in which people with dementia experience music. As well as being enjoyed in its own right, music can enable people to participate in activities that are enjoyable and personally meaningful. It is an important source of social cohesion and social contact, supports participation in various activities within and outside the household, and provides a degree of empowerment and control over their everyday situations. The practical implications for the provision of care and support for people with dementia are discussed. The scope and implications for technological development to promote access to music are also discussed.

Healthy ageing and home: The perspectives of very old people in five European countries.

This paper reports on in-depth research, using a grounded theory approach, to examine the ways in which very old people perceive healthy ageing in the context of living alone at home within urban settings in five European countries. This qualitative study was part of a cross-national project entitled ENABLE-AGE which examined the relationship between home and healthy ageing. Interviews explored the notion of healthy ageing, the meaning and importance of home, conceptualisations of independence and autonomy and links between healthy ageing and home. Data analysis identified five ways in which older people constructed healthy ageing: home and keeping active; managing lifestyles, health and illness; balancing social life; and balancing material and financial circumstances. Older people reflected on their everyday lives at home in terms of being engaged in purposeful, meaningful action and evaluated healthy ageing in relation to the symbolic and practical affordances of the home, contextualised within constructions of their national context. The research suggests that older people perceive healthy ageing as an active achievement, created through individual, personal effort and supported through social ties despite the health, financial and social decline associated with growing older. The physicality and spatiality of home provided the context for establishing and evaluating the notion of healthy ageing, whilst the experienced relationship between home, life history and identity created a meaningful space within which healthy ageing was negotiated.

SOPRANO --- An Ambient Assisted Living System for Supporting Older People at Home

SOPRANO (Service-oriented programmable smart environments for Older Europeans) is a EU-funded project to develop an ambient assisted living (AAL) system to enhance the lives of frail and disabled older people. SOPRANO uses pervasive technologies such as sensors, actuators, smart interfaces, and artificial intelligence to create a more supportive home environment. SOPRANO provides additional safety and security, supporting independent living and social participation and improving quality of life. The paper describes the user-driven approach to research and development within the SOPRANO project and presents results that have emerged from this iterative process. The paper concludes by discussing benefits of the user-driven approach and future plans for system demonstration and large-scale field trials.

Smart care technologies: meeting whose needs?

Recent funding programmes supporting research and development in telecare have argued for a shift in perspective from a technology-driven approach to one that is needs-led. While this is in the interests of both users and technologists, achieving this goal is not straightforward. This paper outlines some of the conceptual, methodological and practical problems that potentially constrain a needs-led approach and illustrates the emergent issues with a case study of the development of an intelligent home monitoring system to support the independent living of older people. The research indicates clear differences between users and technologists in the way problems, needs and requirements are understood and defined. This in turn has consequences for the way assistive technologies are developed and implemented.Recent funding programmes supporting research and development in telecare have argued for a shift in perspective from a technology-driven approach to one that is needs-led. While this is in the interests of both users and technologists, achieving this goal is not straightforward. This paper outlines some of the conceptual, methodological and practical problems that potentially constrain a needs-led approach and illustrates the emergent issues with a case study of the development of an intelligent home monitoring system to support the independent living of older people. The research indicates clear differences between users and technologists in the way problems, needs and requirements are understood and defined. This in turn has consequences for the way assistive technologies are developed and implemented.

Impacts of Home Modifications on Aging-in-Place

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between home modifications and aging-in-place. Using the ENABLE-AGE United Kingdom sample (N = 376), the authors hypothesize that seniors who have modified their housing are likely to have stayed longer in their current housing. There is a positive relationship between home modifications and aging-in-place. The results underscore the importance of supportive environment to prolong living in housing settings.

Housing and Connection to Nature for People with Dementia

Abstract This paper reports on the qualitative findings of the first phase of the INDEPENDENT Project, an EPSRC funded EQUAL 4 consortium project in the UK that aims to investigate enabling environments for people with dementia. The overall project focus is on wellbeing and quality of life for people in different types of housing, with particular focus on the possible roles technology can play in maintaining the persons independence as long as possible. Connection to nature, access to the outdoors, and participation in nature-based activities were among a wide range of enjoyable activities reported by study participants living in their own homes or in residential care. First, an overview of connection to nature for people with dementia and the importance of this connection within their home environments are given. Secondly, the research study is described and data from interviews with people with dementia and from focus groups with family and professional carers including access to, and preferences for nature are summarized. Multiple factors enabling or challenging a persons participation in nature-related activities included personal factors, formal support, social networks, as well as cultural and spiritual aspects. These factors are briefly described and compared. Lastly, factors of the built environment and differences between building types are presented and conclusions drawn.

Designing technology to improve quality of life for people with dementia: user-led approaches

This paper addresses the design of assistive technology that specifically aims to support an improvement in the quality of life of people with dementia. Starting from interviews with users, a grounded theory approach was used to compile a wish list of issues important for maintaining quality of life. A large list of potential technologies that could address these issues was generated, and four were selected for initial development: a music player, a device to reduce social isolation, a conversation prompter, and a device to support sequences of tasks. The music player and social isolation device are described in this paper in detail. A user-led approach to their design was followed, including approaches to finding control interfaces that were intuitive for people with dementia. The paper concludes with a list of recommendations for designers looking to develop equipment of this kind.

The acceptance of ambient assisted living: developing an alternate methodology to this limited research lens

Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) systems integrate stand-alone assistive technologies with smart homes and telehealth. This paper reports on a study that focused on the envisioned impact of AAL systems on the lives of end-users using an alternate research approach. A qualitative design was used and semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 older adults in Southwestern British Columbia, Canada. While a high degree of acceptance regarding AAL was found in the present study, the research also discovered that such technologies have the potential to profoundly affect, both positively and negatively, participants meaning and experience of the home environment. These findings suggest that research and development paradigms need to be expanded if our intention is to produce a product that will be accepted and helpful to the end-user.

Monitoring the Well-being of Older People

This article examines the use of pervasive computing for the provision of care in the community for frail older people living alone in their own homes. The concept of well-being is explored using a conceptual framework that incorporates person, context, everyday activities, personal meanings, and well-being outcomes. The article reviews the implications of this model for developing a practical system within the home of an older person using nonintrusive pervasive sensors and computing devices to monitor indicators of his or her well-being. The data from sensors in the home can be used to detect trends in 6 key activities, which might be indicators of changes in the functional, psychological, and social status of the person. The aim of the well-being monitoring system is to provide care workers and carers with an intuitive early warning system to allow appropriate care interventions, leading to improved care services and an enhanced quality of life for the individual.