with prevention of ill-health and adverse events [6]. Smart home technologies refer to
technology for clinical and wellness monitoring of people in their homes and/or promotes
independence and quality of life [7]. The smart home and assistive technologies mentioned in this literature review covers use in both indoors and outdoors.
This paper aims to address three issues. First, to review the needs of older people
for assistive technologies and smart home technologies by identifying relevant
research. The methods involved searching bibliographic databases, to screen according
to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Second, the paper aims to map needs with available
smart home and assistive technologies according to the findings from identified papers.
Third, to identify the knowledge gap of needs from older people and the gap of
awareness of technologies available.
2 Method - Search Strategy and Eligibility of Study Selection
A search was undertaken of 13 bibliographic databases which included: A). Academic
Search Ultimate; B). AHFS Consumer Medication Information; C). Anthropology
Plus; D). Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate; E). Business Source Ultimate; F). CINAHL with Full Text; G). Health Business Elite; H). Health Source -
Consumer Edition; I). Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; J). Humanities
Source Ultimate; K). Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print; L). Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; and M). Sociology Source Ultimate.
Key words for the search were “Older people”, “Elderly”, “Old aged people”,
“Assistive technologies” and “Smart Home Technologies”. There were some synonyms because there is a range of terms that authors may use as keywords. No doubt
there will be other relevant research into this topic that has escaped our search which is
a limitation of this review.
Before the study, we formulated the eligibility criteria which included: A). the
result must focus on older people, while other groups can be involved such as younger
people with disabilities, but the result towards other groups must be separately
demonstrated in the conclusion of the research; B). The research should be based on
empirical evidence, observed and calculated from data, questionnaire or interview, not
be discussion papers without a data collection; C). The research should discuss older
people’s needs that are significantly beneficial to quality of life, including independent
living skills, satisfaction of living, mental status, social involvement, selection of aged
care mode, relationship with relatives, etc.; D). The factors discussed in the research
positively link to and enhance with greater opportunities of assistive technologies
which help older people with quality of life but not in other fields; E). The result should
be published within 5 years; F); and the paper should be published in English.
According to the assistive technologies mentioned and related to older people’s quality
of life, to researcher’s introduction, to what researchers observed in sociology experiment, we classified older people’s needs. The following result showed older people’s
needs in each type.
Older People’s Needs and Opportunities for Assistive Technologies
405
technology for clinical and wellness monitoring of people in their homes and/or promotes
independence and quality of life [7]. The smart home and assistive technologies mentioned in this literature review covers use in both indoors and outdoors.
This paper aims to address three issues. First, to review the needs of older people
for assistive technologies and smart home technologies by identifying relevant
research. The methods involved searching bibliographic databases, to screen according
to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Second, the paper aims to map needs with available
smart home and assistive technologies according to the findings from identified papers.
Third, to identify the knowledge gap of needs from older people and the gap of
awareness of technologies available.
2 Method - Search Strategy and Eligibility of Study Selection
A search was undertaken of 13 bibliographic databases which included: A). Academic
Search Ultimate; B). AHFS Consumer Medication Information; C). Anthropology
Plus; D). Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate; E). Business Source Ultimate; F). CINAHL with Full Text; G). Health Business Elite; H). Health Source -
Consumer Edition; I). Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; J). Humanities
Source Ultimate; K). Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print; L). Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; and M). Sociology Source Ultimate.
Key words for the search were “Older people”, “Elderly”, “Old aged people”,
“Assistive technologies” and “Smart Home Technologies”. There were some synonyms because there is a range of terms that authors may use as keywords. No doubt
there will be other relevant research into this topic that has escaped our search which is
a limitation of this review.
Before the study, we formulated the eligibility criteria which included: A). the
result must focus on older people, while other groups can be involved such as younger
people with disabilities, but the result towards other groups must be separately
demonstrated in the conclusion of the research; B). The research should be based on
empirical evidence, observed and calculated from data, questionnaire or interview, not
be discussion papers without a data collection; C). The research should discuss older
people’s needs that are significantly beneficial to quality of life, including independent
living skills, satisfaction of living, mental status, social involvement, selection of aged
care mode, relationship with relatives, etc.; D). The factors discussed in the research
positively link to and enhance with greater opportunities of assistive technologies
which help older people with quality of life but not in other fields; E). The result should
be published within 5 years; F); and the paper should be published in English.
According to the assistive technologies mentioned and related to older people’s quality
of life, to researcher’s introduction, to what researchers observed in sociology experiment, we classified older people’s needs. The following result showed older people’s
needs in each type.
Older People’s Needs and Opportunities for Assistive Technologies
405