Module 3: Professional tools for investment and home improvement

Summary of this module. Keywords: context awareness; smart home; human-machine interaction; welfare technology; smart technology at home; technology for elderly

Purpose and goals

Purpose 1: Acquire knowledge and skills to promote living at home in a way that respects the environment and the person's habits.

Specific Objectives

  • To know how to offer support and responses adapted to the person's individuality.
  • To know how to remove the psychological obstacles to home improvement
  • To understand the potential and limitations of housing in terms of mobility within the home and prevention of falls.
  • To know how to adapt the home to the person's well-being
  • To use artificial intelligence tools to improve wellbeing in the home: home improvements through advances in home automation.
  • To enable better adaptation of housing in order to reduce the risk of accidents in everyday life and to simplify daily life

Purpose 2: To promote the autonomy and participation of the person supported in/through the activities of daily life while respecting his/her dignity and abilities.

Specific Objectives

  • To know how to take into account all the determinants (psychological, social, historical and environmental) of the person's situation so as to consider them in their uniqueness.
  • To know how to stimulate the person sensorially and visually through activities and the organization of their environment.
  • To mobilize leisure, humor and creativity.

Content

  1. Introduction: the importance of housing, the environment and the living environment for a person's well-being.
  2. Diagnostic tools for the initial situation of the dwelling and the environment. These tools aim to take particular account of.

    2.1. The person, The cohabitation unit and their needs.

    2.2. Cultural aspects and personal preferences in home design and decoration

    2.3. The support network for the older person.

    2.4 Environment: rural, city, town, village, flat, house. Identification, characteristics and resources available

    2.5. Capacities and needs of the person related to the the environment (house, environment and neighbourhood)

    2.6. Assessing potential in the home and identifying barriers to falls

  3. Home adaptation.

    3.1 Recommendations: build a balance between safety, comfort, functionality, accessibility and aesthetics of the home.

    3.2 The home in its external environment, neighbourhood and village, participation in the community.  Services of proximity and of the environment, of the community.

    3.3 Exchange with the person what could be the minimal transformation proposals of the dwelling to remove these obstacles.

    3.4 Make concerted proposals around lighting, colour, furniture, temperature….. to make the home even more comfortable and welcoming where appropriate

    3.5 Artificial intelligence tools - home security (smoke, gas, water detectors), remote control alerts, energy saving etc.

  4. Other accommodation models

References

Lorenz K, Freddolino PP, Comas-Herrera A, Knapp M, Damant J. Technology-based tools and services for people with dementia and carers: Mapping technology onto the dementia care pathway. Dementia. 2019;18(2):725-741. doi:10.1177/1471301217691617

Lars Tore Vassli & Babak A. Farshchian (2018) Acceptance of Health-Related ICT among Elderly People Living in the Community: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Evidence, International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 34:2, 99-116, DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2017.1328024

Mokhtari, M., Aloulou, H., Tiberghien, T., Biswas, J., Racoceanu, D., & Yap, P. (2012). New trends to support independence in persons with mild dementia–a mini-review. Gerontology, 58(6), 554-563

Practical tools

Talaei-Khoei, Amir & Daniel, Jay,  2018. How younger elderly realize usefulness of cognitive training video games to maintain their independent living, International Journal of Information Management, Volume 42, 2018,1-12, ISSN 0268-4012, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.05.001.

References in Finnish

Hennala, Lea; Parjanen, Satu; Saurio,Riika;  Pekkarinen, Satu; Laakso, Hilkka ja Melkas, Helinä (2021). Robotit työvälineeksi hyvinvointipalveluissa: innovaatioiden sujuttamisen opas. ISBN 978-952-335-642-9 (PDF) Robotit työvälineeksi hyvinvointipalveluissa: innovaatioiden sujuttamisen opas (ROSE, 2015−2021) (lut.fi) (In Finnish)

Kotona asumisen teknologiat ikäihmisille -ohjelma (KATI) - THL Kotona asumisen teknologiat ikäihmisille (KATI) -ohjelma edistää uusien teknologioiden hyödyntämistä kotona asumisessa, kotihoidossa ja kotiin tuotavissa palveluissa.

Työkaluja teknologiakehittämiseen - THL nettisivuilla linkkejä erilaisiin kotona-asumista tukevien teknologioihin tutustumiseen, arviointiin ja hankintaan.

Vasara P. (2021) Ikäasumisen odotuksista ja uusista käytännöistä. Janus 29 (2), 176–181.