Suiting videoconferencing to everyday needs
The elderly are often confined to their homes or to nursing homes and usually with limited social interaction or options for occupying their time. Therefore, an EC funded project, SAID (Social Aid Interactive Development) has developed a group of telematic services for the elderly, which can enhance Social Assistance via a Digital TV infrastructure. This is made possible with an open platform based on Digital TV that provides various services according to the particular needs of the user. In addition to surveillance, alarms and entertainment, one of the main services it provides is videoconferencing. A simplified user interface provides the option of choosing the photo of the person with whom she or he wishes to communicate from a cluster of photographs. Videoconferencing can be useful in various everyday undertakings such as personal communications, communications with social or health services and request for home delivery services among others. Since it can be operated with a TV remote control, it is simple to use and it's also designed to be an economical means for real-time communications. In essence, it can serve as a fundamental measure for making the lives of the elderly easier and more pleasant.
