Lifelong Housing Design: User Feedback Evaluation of smart objects and accessible houses for healthy ageing

Abstract

According to the latest research by the European Community and ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) surveys, Europe has the highest average age for its population. According to those data, in the near future, it could be necessary to move from a welfare model based on the centralization of care systems, to a system based on the distribution of certain healthcare facilities [1]. This means that the ageing population is ever increasing, thanks to better lifestyles, innovative medical care and wider access to different services. This work seeks to observe and analyse key implications of architectural and interior design features and new, non-invasive, interactive technologies, related to user interaction design and usability of environments within the housing scenario. Those themes are particularly related to ageing people who live in autonomously or semi-autonomously within their own homes or assisted homes. For example, according to the "community care" approach, people could live as long as possible in their familiar environment, by bringing health and social care services into people's home, providing assistance for everyday needs and re-activating the potential of local communities. Two vital aspects of the life of an individual, in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle despite ever-changing conditions, are domestic autonomy and good sustained relationships within the neighbourhood. This leads to an interesting research issue: could houses and smart appliances have the potential to improve autonomy and people's quality of life? Which kind of methods, tools and scenarios could enhance wellbeing and healthy conditions, while reducing time and costs? Data, analysed in different scenarios, starting from a worldwide and then focusing on Europe and Italian context, provides a clear view of house's architectural and technological features and user feedback, useful to define a future household scenario suitable to meet the needs of a growing population. The final result of this part of the research is composed of a series of blueprints called "User Feedback Evaluation" which enable people in understanding and categorising the classes of systems, aids, smart devices and features that a barrier-free house should have for improving living conditions of ageing residents. In a second stage of the research the user feedback analysis could bring the definition of a new Design approach for enabling user and facilitating professionals. This is achieved by developing a holistic method and merging innovative tools and approaches with existing ones, in order to foresee the future needs of the ageing people through provision of additional unobtrusive Smart devices. The smart appliances should be integrated in accessible, barrier-free, "Long-life friendly" houses, to allow the senior residents to remain for longer in their own home in a safer and autonomous way.