IoT Based Recipes for Enabling Senior Citizens: Stakeholders Views on How Integration of IoT and Web Services Can Enhance Well-Being and Inclusion of Older People

Abstract

The main body of research clearly highlights the world’s population is rapidly expanding. When this fact is combined with the increase in life longevity due to medical and social advances it alters the demographic balance in relation to age. Hence, the number of people aged 65 and over is constantly increasing. The potential of Smart Technologies and IoT-based devices to improve health has increased rapidly in the last few years and users are now in a position to contribute to the development of the interaction process and need to be properly trained on benefits of using new technologies. IFTTT (If This Then That), Blockly, and other similar tools provide a new perspective on web-based services, and represent an innovative and inclusive instrument to manage small automated tasks between Internet-connected devices by using a simplified interaction approach. The main research question of this work is: how could senior users benefit and adopt smart devices in a proficient way and how can emerging technologies such as automation services enhance safety, health and well-being for people with different abilities? The research method is based on a participatory, Inclusive Design approach, developed through interviews and focus groups, among a restricted number of people of different age and gender, design and usability tests in the further stage. The aim of the work is to make existing technologies more accepted, usable and inclusive for as many people as possible. This goal will be achieved by analysis and by creating a set of interactive and easy to use information and tools for automating different processes, to improve the performance in Activities of Daily Living and increase the connection and socialization between citizens, their family and friends. Applets for Seniors could be seen as a different approach to enable users with different abilities in interacting in a friendly way with new technologies and could be also used as a User Experience facilitator for people who are not familiar with smart devices.