Technology for older people to live more independently
Society is ageing in Europe and beyond, and along with that there is a gap regarding technology that is appropriate for older adults to help them live independently. This is because not only do older people today vary in their needs and abilities, but technology is also changing at a more rapid pace than ever before. An EU-funded project, 'Needs and requirements for independent living for older people' (NARILOP),thus looked into the research and practice to get older adults more engaged in the design of technologies. Literature from human-computer interaction has been reviewed as well as that from related disciplines in order to arrive at methodologies with the potential to be used for older adults. Making them purpose appropriate is also important, and as such the project looked at a range of technologies related to cooking, food shopping and nutrition. These are important areas of everyday life that have been underrepresented in the realm of technology for this age group. Thousands of papers reviewed were classified into three types of research and development. These include new technologies and systems, understanding users and methods for working with older people. The research was further categorised into 11 major topics. The work culminated in an overview of the state of the art of technologies for promoting independent living and well-being of older people. This can be especially useful for researchers, developers and practitioners in the field.
