Active Assisted Living (AAL) refers to systems designed to improve the quality of life, aid in independence, and create healthier lifestyles for those who need assistance at any stage of their lives. As the population of older adults in Canada grows, there is a pressing need for non-intrusive, continuous, adaptable, and reliable health monitoring tools to support aging in place and reduce healthcare costs. A wide variety of AAL solutions are currently available to address these needs, such as solutions for home automation, assistive devices, and remote health monitoring. However, insufficient efforts have been made to address older adults and their care providers' concerns arising from the integration of AAL into care.
This project is a collaboration between the University of Waterloo and the CSA Group with the objective of better understanding the requirements of AAL and smart technology use in the care of older adults. We are exploring the continuum connecting AAL technologies, healthcare service provision, and smart communities by researching existing work, conducting interviews with stakeholders in older adult care and AAL technology development, and collaborating with industry and research partners. With the help of these findings, we will provide guidelines, checklists, and propose new standards for current and future smart communities seeking to implement AAL technologies at a community level.
This work will enable AAL technologies and the data generated by them to be fully integrated into community services (e.g. pharmacies, allied health professionals, community clinics, etc.) and support the care and wellbeing of older adults. Ultimately, this project will provide guidelines for the implementation of smart homes and smart communities that can fully leverage the benefits of independent living supported by AAL technology, and developing guidelines and frameworks for:
- New AAL technology manufacturers.
- Developers of new smart communities seeking to ensure that the new developments are prepared to integrate AAL systems.
- Communities seeking to leverage data generated by AAL systems into fully integrated community health services (e.g., pharmacies, allied health professionals, community clinics, etc.)
Project members:
Gaya Bin Noon, PhD Candidate
Last updated: March 08, 2024