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Can Smart Home Technology Deliver on the Promise of Independent Living?

A Critical Reflection Based on the Perspectives of Older Adults

Handbook of Smart Homes, Health Care and Well-Being

Abstract

Expectations are high with regards to smart home technology. In particular, smart home technology is expected to support or enable independent living by older adults. This raises the question: can smart home technology contribute to independent living, according to older adults themselves? This chapter aims to answer this question by reviewing and discussing older adults’ perspectives on independence and their views on smart home technology. Firstly, older adults’ opinions on independence and aging in place are discussed. Secondly, this chapter will review to what extent smart home technology can support older adults’ independence. Thirdly, it will be explained how community-dwelling older adults’ concept of independence entails three distinct types or modes, and how these modes are related to their perceptions and acceptance of technology. In the last section of this chapter, an overview of key points is presented, and recommendations for technology designers, policy makers, and care providers are postulated.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Reeder et al. (2013) classified studies as “emerging,” “promising,” “effective (first tier),” or “effective (second tier).” The three studies mentioned were not considered “effective (second tier)” by Reeder et al. (2013) because they were limited by the use of a historical control group (Kelly 2005), high dropout rates (Tomita et al. 2007), and the use of nonrandomized comparison groups (Brownsell et al. 2008). None of the studies included in the review by Reeder et al. (2013) were classified as the highest type of evidence, which was “effective (second tier).”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Allied Health Professions, Chair of Health Innovations and Technology, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Dominee Theodor Fliednerstraat 2, 5631 BN, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Sebastiaan T. M. Peek, Sil Aarts & Eveline J. M. Wouters

  2. Department of Tranzo, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Sebastiaan T. M. Peek

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  1. Sebastiaan T. M. Peek
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  2. Sil Aarts
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  3. Eveline J. M. Wouters
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Correspondence to Sebastiaan T. M. Peek .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Joost van Hoof

  2. School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    George Demiris

  3. Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Eveline J.M. Wouters

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Peek, S.T.M., Aarts, S., Wouters, E.J.M. (2015). Can Smart Home Technology Deliver on the Promise of Independent Living?. In: van Hoof, J., Demiris, G., Wouters, E. (eds) Handbook of Smart Homes, Health Care and Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01904-8_41-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01904-8_41-1

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  1. Latest

    Can Smart Home Technology Deliver on the Promise of Independent Living?
    Published:
    06 March 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01904-8_41-2

  2. Original

    Can Smart Home Technology Deliver on the Promise of Independent Living?
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    11 February 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01904-8_41-1

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