3 Results
By searching in 13 bibliographic databases we yielded 923 results. We excluded 386
papers due to duplication leaving 537 studies for screening. Based on the exclusion and
inclusion criteria, we identified 34 papers for detailed analysis.
Though different researchers classified older people’s needs in various ways, this
paper, which looks into their broad types of needs, required a comprehensive way of
classification. Our classifications were informed by Lee and Lim, who divided older
people’s need into health, leisure, living/safety and family relationship [8]. They
included both indoor and outdoor activities, both physical and mental health, both
independent living and interaction with others, both self-well-being conditions and
objective environment improvement. We found this approach useful to distinguish
different kinds of needs towards technologies, it made fewer overlaps and mixes when
mapping to older people’s needs. Based on their method, we refined categories, as a
result, this review classified older people’s needs towards smart home and assistive
technologies into health, leisure, living, safety, communication, family relationship and
social involvement – 6 categories in total. The clear summary of categories, subcategories with frequencies and identified papers is shown in Table 1.
Among the 6 categories of needs of older people related to smart home and
assistive technologies, “Living” category was the highest priority, which represented
40% of the total concerns, followed by “Safety” (16%), “Health” (15%), “Family
Relationship and Social Involvement” (11%), “Leisure” (10%) and “Communication”
(8%). Looking into subcategories of specific needs, walking and mobility assistance
was the most needed, which was mentioned 16 times by identified researchers, represented 6.7% of the entire spectrum of older people’s needs, followed by social
contacts with family member/other people and smart cooking/kitchen technology,
which both were mentioned 12 times by identified researchers, represented 5.1% of the
entire spectrum of older people’s needs.
Relevant systematic reviews in the last 5 years used the keywords “Elderly”, “Older
people”, “Smart Home Technologies” and “Assistive Technologies”, our search found
26 relevant systematic reviews published. These were about older people’s attitude to
[9] or adoption of [10] technologies, as well as technology for specific disease [11–14],
for social [15] and communication [16], for nursing or caregivers [17], for monitoring
[18–20] and mental well-beings [21] - none of them were comprehensively about the
whole spectrum of assistive technologies, at the same time, none of them comprehensively based on older people’s broad spectrum of needs. here is a need for a review
based on older people’s needs that might be addressed by smart home and assistive
technologies.
406
J. Soar et al.
By searching in 13 bibliographic databases we yielded 923 results. We excluded 386
papers due to duplication leaving 537 studies for screening. Based on the exclusion and
inclusion criteria, we identified 34 papers for detailed analysis.
Though different researchers classified older people’s needs in various ways, this
paper, which looks into their broad types of needs, required a comprehensive way of
classification. Our classifications were informed by Lee and Lim, who divided older
people’s need into health, leisure, living/safety and family relationship [8]. They
included both indoor and outdoor activities, both physical and mental health, both
independent living and interaction with others, both self-well-being conditions and
objective environment improvement. We found this approach useful to distinguish
different kinds of needs towards technologies, it made fewer overlaps and mixes when
mapping to older people’s needs. Based on their method, we refined categories, as a
result, this review classified older people’s needs towards smart home and assistive
technologies into health, leisure, living, safety, communication, family relationship and
social involvement – 6 categories in total. The clear summary of categories, subcategories with frequencies and identified papers is shown in Table 1.
Among the 6 categories of needs of older people related to smart home and
assistive technologies, “Living” category was the highest priority, which represented
40% of the total concerns, followed by “Safety” (16%), “Health” (15%), “Family
Relationship and Social Involvement” (11%), “Leisure” (10%) and “Communication”
(8%). Looking into subcategories of specific needs, walking and mobility assistance
was the most needed, which was mentioned 16 times by identified researchers, represented 6.7% of the entire spectrum of older people’s needs, followed by social
contacts with family member/other people and smart cooking/kitchen technology,
which both were mentioned 12 times by identified researchers, represented 5.1% of the
entire spectrum of older people’s needs.
Relevant systematic reviews in the last 5 years used the keywords “Elderly”, “Older
people”, “Smart Home Technologies” and “Assistive Technologies”, our search found
26 relevant systematic reviews published. These were about older people’s attitude to
[9] or adoption of [10] technologies, as well as technology for specific disease [11–14],
for social [15] and communication [16], for nursing or caregivers [17], for monitoring
[18–20] and mental well-beings [21] - none of them were comprehensively about the
whole spectrum of assistive technologies, at the same time, none of them comprehensively based on older people’s broad spectrum of needs. here is a need for a review
based on older people’s needs that might be addressed by smart home and assistive
technologies.
406
J. Soar et al.