4 - The ecology of home sensor networks for telecare

Abstract

The percentage of older people in the population is gradually rising, leading to increasing pressure on health and social care services. Telecare technologies can help to alleviate this problem through assisting older people to prolong an independent life at home. A telecare system uses local networks in the home to link devices and services that support care delivery. The system also connects via wide-area networks to external health and social care services. The ecology of a telecare network deals with how end users relate to care services and to those who provide informal and formal care. Telecare supports users in their homes and also as part of a larger community. A variety of networks is used in the home, including wired and wireless. These networks manage telecare through sensors that detect user activity and conditions in the home, actuators that interface with the user and manage the home, and local or external services that support care. Among several platforms, Open Systems Gateway initiative (OSGi) has been widely used to support home users. Advanced Component Control Enhancing Network Technologies is an exemplary telecare solution using OSGi, that links sensors, actuators and services under control of user-defined goals and rules. Although significant progress has been made in telecare, a number of challenges remain to be addressed such as usability, generality and personalisation of home care networks.