Abstract
People want to live independently and in familiar surrounding for as long as possible. However, permanent health changes linked to disabilities (Tucker et al., 2022) and old age (Pani-Harreman et al., 2021) turn the built environment, in particular the equipment and the construction of housing, into a determinant of living independently at home (Sixsmith & Sixsmith, 2008). (Digital) assistive devices and related systems like Ambient Assisted Living can support independent living at home. There are a number of prerequisites, such as technical feasibility and technology acceptance (Renaud & van Biljon, 2008), which the DeinHaus 4.0 Oberbayern research project is investigating with a research design of “day visits”. Patients first visit homes equipped with (digital) aids. They then complete a questionnaire and give feedback in a recorded group setting. In the course of research, it became clear that next to the more traditional factors of health, control beliefs (financial options, technology skills and preexperiences), and gerontechnology anxiety (Chen and Lou 2020), individual perspectives on housing and living are decisive for usage and adoption decisions. Tenant positions, the presence of further household members, ideas of a good home and anxiety about “what others might think of me” influence usage and adoption of assistive devices. The paper draws on the research project’s findings to show the perspectives on housing and living that make people refrain from assistive devices. Although most devices are designed to allow social participation to be maintained, individual usage decides about the assistive potential of the solutions.
Presenters
Ulrike FettkeResearch Coordinator, Research projekt DeinHaus 4.0 - Oberbayern (YourHome 4.0), Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences, Bayern, Germany
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Aging in Place, Digital Assisitive Devices, Technology Acceptance, Housing
