The smart home for the elderly: Perceptions, technologies and psychological accessibilities: The requirements analysis for the elderly in Thailand

Abstract

Various studies of assistive technology, embedded into the house for helping elderly persons have been introduced. There are many terms used to call this assistive technology, such as smart home, intelligent home, and home networking. The current technologies for smart home system can be divided into two basic categories: passive-intervention devices and active-intervention devices. Passive-intervention devices monitor an elderly person's condition and safety without intervening in his or her care, such as detecting heart rate, respiration, and restlessness by using electrode-slipping device, inserted under mattress pads. Active-intervention devices play more active role in an elderly person care, such as all sensors equipped with alarms, reminder systems, and medication administration system. The smart home technologies enhance a quality of living and allow the elderly to live independently in their homes, while their adult children are working. A successful promotion of smart home technologies does not depend only on the intelligence itself, but it also requires needs, concerns, perceptions, and psychological accessibilities for elderly persons. This paper proposes the smart home model for the elderly in Thailand, based on the stakeholders' requirements, concerns, and perceptions. By given the selected technologies in passiveintervention devices and active-intervention devices, this paper shows the perceptions, psychological accessibility factors, needs, and concerns of specific smart home model for elderly care, using a questionnaire and survey. The interpreting of the results of statistical analysis relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods, therefore the smart home model for the elderly in Thailand can be designed and implemented, practically based on the stakeholders' perspectives.