Monitoring and Information Needs of the Elderly

Abstract

Maintaining independence at home may be facilitated by various kinds of unobtrusive sensing technology. These technologies can provide a broad array of information. Unfortunately, little is known about the types of data or the formats for data output that are most desired by older people. This pilot project is designed to address those gaps in information. While the potential benefits of new technologies have been highlighted, the views and preferences of technology end-users have not been adequately addressed. Qualitative data collection methods are useful for gaining in-depth insights about research questions and are especially valuable when there has been limited prior research. Focus groups provide a relatively efficient means for exploring attitudes towards topics of interest and for gaining understanding of issues from the point of view of the subjects. Information gleaned from focus groups is particularly useful in designing quantitative surveys and for designing interventions. The specific aims of this project are to conduct focus groups in order to 1) identify in-home monitoring needs and expectations of community residing elderly and their family members; and 2) identify optimal communication channels and formats of monitoring data for these cohorts.