Barriers and Facilitators to Using Smart Home Technologies to Support Older Adults

Abstract

This research explores the principle barriers to and facilitators of the use of Smart Home Technology, telemonitoring and telemedicine systems to support healthcare and enable older adults to maintain their independence. The research focuses on organizational rather than technological issues. Semi-structured interviews explored the perspectives of three populations of stakeholders (N = 17): managers of rest homes/retirement villages, technology developers in a university setting and older adults (age 65 years and older). Key barriers to and facilitators of adoption are identified for the stakeholder groups. The results indicate that a lack of information about the capabilities and availability of the technologies is a key barrier to adoption. Other issues identified in previous studies are also found to be relevant, such as costs, platform management and infrastructure, and human issues such as privacy. The research provides practical recommendations for directions to be explored by developers and researchers in New Zealand and elsewhere.