Concept
While talking about technology, Microsoft Corporation’s C.E.O. Steve Ballmer once said, “The number one benefit of technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential” (BrainyQuote 2007). Similarly, through new technology, a little creativity, and a lot of thinking, we have begun to produce home automation systems that make it possible for the elderly and disabled to live by themselves and meet their potential. Due to the aging population of the United States, measures must be taken in order to provide health care to the elderly. The US Census Bureau has projected that by 2010 13% of the population will be 65 or older (Cheek 2005). The bureau has also projected that by 2030 there will be 9 million Americans older than 85 (Cheek 2005). The aging population has generated a significant interest by the government, as well as industry leaders, to develop home automation systems for the elderly. Due to the drastic increases in health-care facility costs, more and more elderly people are turning to home automation, a concept also known as "smart homes", to allow them to age in the comfort of their own homes. These systems make normal Activities of Daily Living (ADL) possible for the elderly and disabled who would otherwise not be able to live on their own. Smart homes can most easily be described as “a collective term for information and communication technology in homes where components communicate through a local network” (Cheek 2005).
There are two basic forms of home automation systems for the elderly: embedded health systems and private health networks. Embedded health systems integrate sensors and microprocessors in appliances, furniture, and clothing which collect data that is analyzed and can be used to diagnose diseases and recognize risk patterns. Private health networks implement wireless technology to connect portable devices and store data in a household health database. Due to the need for more healthcare options for the aging population “there is a significant interest from industry and policy makers in developing these technologies” (Eriksson 2002).
Read more about this topic: Home Automation For The Elderly And Disabled
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