Challenges
The recent advances made in tailoring home automation toward the elderly have generated opposition. It has been stated that “Smart home technology will be helpful only if it is tailored to meet the individual needs of each patient” (Cheek 2005). This currently creates a problem because many of the interfaces designed for home automation “are not designed to take functional limitations, associated with age, into consideration” (Cheek 2005). Another problem that has been presented involves making the system user-friendly for the elderly who often have difficulty operating electronic devices. The cost of the systems has also presented a challenge, because although the systems would be cheaper than the costs of a long-term health care facility, the U.S. government currently provides no assistance to seniors who choose to install these systems (in some countries as Spain the Dependency Law includes this assistance).
The biggest concern expressed by potential users of smart home technology is "fear of lack of human responders or the possible replacement of human caregivers by technology" (Cheek 2005), but home automation should be seen as something that augments, but does not replace, human care.
Read more about this topic: Home Automation For The Elderly And Disabled
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