The population is aging worldwide at an unprecedented rate. What used to be 1 billion older adults in 2020 is expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050. As a result, smart home and Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies have gained attention as potential tools to support independent living by monitoring safety, daily activity, and general wellbeing in the home. However, many older adults remain unsure about who can see their information, and most current dashboards display the same data to all audiences. Without meaningful control over data visibility, older adults often feel uncertain about privacy, which can reduce trust and limit adoption of AAL systems.
This study examines older adults’ preferences for sharing different types of health information across private and public dashboard contexts. Through guided focus groups, participants age 65 and over discuss four viewing scenarios, review paper-based dashboard prototypes, and complete a card sorting activity that categorizes data such as vital signs, activity summaries, audio, and video as public, private, or context dependent. The findings will reveal what information older adults believe is appropriate to share with clinicians, caregivers, family members, and visitors, and in which settings. The anticipated outcome is a set of clear design recommendations for creating separate private and public dashboard modes that align with real privacy expectations, increase perceived control, and support wider acceptance of AAL technologies.
Project members:
Hamin Jo, MSc StudentÂ
Last updated: November 18, 2025