scholarly journals Ambient Assisted Living for Improvement of Health and Quality of Life—A Special Issue of the Journal of Informatics

Informatics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai Zhang ◽  
Chris Nugent ◽  
Jens Lundström ◽  
Min Sheng
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Special Issue

System for Assistance on Bath of Bedridden Elderly People

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Bezerra ◽  
José Machado ◽  
Vitor Carvalho ◽  
Filomena Soares ◽  
Bruno Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
The Other ◽  
Mechatronic System ◽  
Rehabilitation Centers ◽  
Aged Person

From Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) perspective it is important to have information regarding the type of care needed by bedridden elderly people (BEP) living in their homes, in order to support independence, autonomy and maximize their quality of life. Some basic tasks as eating, taking a bath and the hygiene cares may be difficult to execute, regarding that almost always the main caregiver is the other element of the couple (husband or wife). Following this trend, the development of mechatronic devices is of upmost importance in creating solutions to facilitate these tasks. This paper presents the conceptual design of a mechatronic system especially devoted to the assistance during the bath of BEP. Issues as reducing the number of caregivers to only one to assist the bath and reducing the system’s handling complexity (because most of the time it will be used by an aged person) are considered. Visits to rehabilitation centers and hospitals, and respective working meetings, are considered in the development of the proposed mechatronic system.

scholarly journals IoT/Sensor-Based Infrastructures Promoting a Sense of Home, Independent Living, Comfort and Wellness

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Cahill ◽  
Raul Portales ◽  
Sean McLoughin ◽  
Nithia Nagan ◽  
Braden Henrichs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Residential Setting ◽  
Human Machine Interaction ◽  
Resident Wellness

This paper presents the results of three interrelated studies concerning the specification and implementation of ambient assisted living (AAL)/Internet of Things (IoT)/sensor-based infrastructures, to support resident wellness and person-centered care delivery, in a residential care context. Overall, the paper reports on the emerging wellness management concept and IoT solution. The three studies adopt a stakeholder evaluation approach to requirements elicitation and solution design. Human factors research combines several qualitative human–machine interaction (HMI) design frameworks/methods, including realist ethnography, process mapping, persona-based design, and participatory design. Software development activities are underpinned by SCRUM/AGILE frameworks. Three structuring principles underpin the resident’s lived experience and the proposed ‘sensing’ framework. This includes (1) resident wellness, (2) the resident’s environment (i.e., room and broader social spaces which constitute ‘home’ for the resident), and (3) care delivery. The promotion of resident wellness, autonomy, quality of life and social participation depends on adequate monitoring and evaluation of information pertaining to (1), (2) and (3). Furthermore, the application of ambient assisted living technology in a residential setting depends on a clear definition of related care delivery processes and allied social and interpersonal communications. It is argued that independence (and quality of life for older adults) is linked to technology that enables interdependence, and specifically technology that supports social communication between key roles including residents, caregivers, and family members.

scholarly journals Ambient Assisted Living: A Review of Technologies, Methodologies and Future Perspectives for Healthy Aging of Population

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3549
Author(s):  
Grazia Cicirelli ◽  
Roberto Marani ◽  
Antonio Petitti ◽  
Annalisa Milella ◽  
Tiziana D’Orazio
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Points Of View

Over the last decade, there has been considerable and increasing interest in the development of Active and Assisted Living (AAL) systems to support independent living. The demographic change towards an aging population has introduced new challenges to today’s society from both an economic and societal standpoint. AAL can provide an arrary of solutions for improving the quality of life of individuals, for allowing people to live healthier and independently for longer, for helping people with disabilities, and for supporting caregivers and medical staff. A vast amount of literature exists on this topic, so this paper aims to provide a survey of the research and skills related to AAL systems. A comprehensive analysis is presented that addresses the main trends towards the development of AAL systems both from technological and methodological points of view and highlights the main issues that are worthy of further investigation.

scholarly journals Overview of Policies, Guidelines, and Standards for Active Assisted Living Data Exchange: Thematic Analysis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura X. Fadrique ◽  
Dia Rahman ◽  
Hélène Vaillancourt ◽  
Paul Boissonneault ◽  
Tania Donovska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
The Creation

BACKGROUND A primary concern for governments and health care systems is the rapid growth of the aging population. To provide a better quality of life for the elderly, researchers have explored the use of wearables, sensors, actuators, and mobile health technologies. The term AAL can be referred to as active assisted living or ambient assisted living, with both sometimes used interchangeably. AAL technologies describes systems designed to improve the quality of life, aid in independence, and create healthier lifestyles for those who need assistance at any stage of their lives. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to understand the standards and policy guidelines that companies use in the creation of AAL technologies and to highlight the gap between available technologies, standards, and policies and what should be available for use. METHODS A literature review was conducted to identify critical standards and frameworks related to AAL. Interviews with 15 different stakeholders across Canada were carried out to complement this review. The results from interviews were coded using a thematic analysis and then presented in two workshops about standards, policies, and governance to identify future steps and opportunities regarding AAL. RESULTS Our study showed that the base technology, standards, and policies necessary for the creation of AAL technology are not the primary problem causing disparity between existing and accessible technologies; instead nontechnical issues and integration between existing technologies present the most significant issue. A total of five themes have been identified for further analysis: (1) end user and purpose; (2) accessibility; (3) interoperability; (4) data sharing; and (5) privacy and security. CONCLUSIONS Interoperability is currently the biggest challenge for the future of data sharing related to AAL technology. Additionally, the majority of stakeholders consider privacy and security to be the main concerns related to data sharing in the AAL scope. Further research is necessary to explore each identified gap in detail.

Conceptual Design of a Mechatronic System for Supporting Basic Quality of Life of Bedridden Elderly People

2014 ◽  
Vol 658 ◽  
pp. 483-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Silva ◽  
José Machado ◽  
Vitor Carvalho ◽  
Filomena Soares ◽  
Demétrio Matos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mechatronic System ◽  
Aged People ◽  
Rehabilitation Centers

Ambient Assisted Living is an important subject to be explored and developed, especially in developed countries, due to the increasing number of aged people. In this context the development of mechatronic support systems for bedridden elderly people (BEP) living in their homes is essential in order to support independence, autonomy and improve their quality of life. Some basic tasks as eating, taking a bath and/or hygiene cares become difficult to execute, regarding that often the main caregiver is the other element of the aged couple (husband or wife). This paper presents the conceptual design of a mechanical system especially devoted to assist the caregiver in the handling and repositioning of the BEP. Issues as reducing the number of caregivers, to only one, and reducing the system's handling complexity (because most of the time it will be used by an aged person) are considered. The expertise obtained from the visits to rehabilitation centers and hospitals, and from working meetings, are considered in the development of the proposed mechatronic system.

scholarly journals Overview of Policies, Guidelines, and Standards for Active Assisted Living Data Exchange: Thematic Analysis

10.2196/15923 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. e15923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura X Fadrique ◽  
Dia Rahman ◽  
Hélène Vaillancourt ◽  
Paul Boissonneault ◽  
Tania Donovska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
The Creation

Background A primary concern for governments and health care systems is the rapid growth of the aging population. To provide a better quality of life for the elderly, researchers have explored the use of wearables, sensors, actuators, and mobile health technologies. The term AAL can be referred to as active assisted living or ambient assisted living, with both sometimes used interchangeably. AAL technologies describes systems designed to improve the quality of life, aid in independence, and create healthier lifestyles for those who need assistance at any stage of their lives. Objective The aim of this study was to understand the standards and policy guidelines that companies use in the creation of AAL technologies and to highlight the gap between available technologies, standards, and policies and what should be available for use. Methods A literature review was conducted to identify critical standards and frameworks related to AAL. Interviews with 15 different stakeholders across Canada were carried out to complement this review. The results from interviews were coded using a thematic analysis and then presented in two workshops about standards, policies, and governance to identify future steps and opportunities regarding AAL. Results Our study showed that the base technology, standards, and policies necessary for the creation of AAL technology are not the primary problem causing disparity between existing and accessible technologies; instead nontechnical issues and integration between existing technologies present the most significant issue. A total of five themes have been identified for further analysis: (1) end user and purpose; (2) accessibility; (3) interoperability; (4) data sharing; and (5) privacy and security. Conclusions Interoperability is currently the biggest challenge for the future of data sharing related to AAL technology. Additionally, the majority of stakeholders consider privacy and security to be the main concerns related to data sharing in the AAL scope. Further research is necessary to explore each identified gap in detail.

Wireless Solutions for Elderly People Assistance

2010 ◽  
pp. 102-115
Author(s):  
Alessia D’Andrea ◽  
Arianna D’Ulizia ◽  
Fernando Ferri ◽  
Patrizia Grifoni
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Wireless Systems ◽  
Wireless Technologies

Wireless technologies are increasingly acquiring a considerable relevance in the field of Ambient Assisted Living. This contributes to independent living and quality of life for many elderly people by reducing the need of caretakers and personal nursing. In this chapter we provide a classification of existing wireless technologies for Ambient Assisted Living based on the role they can have in the assistance to elderly people. Then, we provide an overview of several intelligent wireless systems applied in the Ambient Assisted Living on considering the different wireless technologies used in each of them.

Wireless Solutions for Elderly People Assistance

2012 ◽  
pp. 1078-1092
Author(s):  
Alessia D’Andrea ◽  
Arianna D’Ulizia ◽  
Fernando Ferri ◽  
Patrizia Grifoni
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Wireless Systems ◽  
Wireless Technologies

Wireless technologies are increasingly acquiring a considerable relevance in the field of Ambient Assisted Living. This contributes to independent living and quality of life for many elderly people by reducing the need of caretakers and personal nursing. In this chapter we provide a classification of existing wireless technologies for Ambient Assisted Living based on the role they can have in the assistance to elderly people. Then, we provide an overview of several intelligent wireless systems applied in the Ambient Assisted Living on considering the different wireless technologies used in each of them.

scholarly journals Enhancing the Ambient Assisted Living Capabilities with a Mobile Robot

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Gomez-Donoso ◽  
Félix Escalona ◽  
Francisco Miguel Rivas ◽  
Jose Maria Cañas ◽  
Miguel Cazorla
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mobile Robot ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Real Life

Ambient assisted living (AAL) environments are currently a key focus of interest as an option to assist and monitor disabled and elderly people. These systems can improve their quality of life and personal autonomy by detecting events such as entering potentially dangerous areas, potential fall events, or extended stays in the same place. Nonetheless, there are areas that remain outside the scope of AAL systems due to the placement of cameras. There also exist sources of danger in the scope of the camera that the AAL system cannot detect. These sources of danger are relatively small in size, occluded, or nonstatic. To solve this problem, we propose the inclusion of a robot which maps such uncovered areas looking for new potentially dangerous areas that go unnoticed by the AAL. The robot then sends this information to the AAL system in order to improve its performance. Experimentation in real-life scenarios successfully validates our approach.

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