NOTICE 24.3.2023

Housing for the elderly requires new solutions

With smart wellness technology integrated into the home, diseases caused by aging can be prevented and the costs of nursing care due to the aging of the population can be reduced. Services for the elderly can be reformed in Finland by utilizing the technology used at home as thresholds are removed in the way of services and technology continues to develop.

The use of real-time sensor data produced by the elderly at home in social security services is still in its infancy. A lot of development work and research is still required in order to get the maximum benefit from it in promoting the health care and well-being of the elderly. The collected data must be reliable and of high quality, so that the decisions made based on it are correct and useful in terms of health care for the elderly. It is important to develop new analysis methods and technologies that enable fast and efficient processing and interpretation of sensor data.

The rapid development of digitization has created new prospects for supporting the elderly living at home thanks to smart devices and remote connections. In order for artificial intelligence to be of concrete benefit to the elderly, it must be ensured that they receive the necessary support for its use and that artificial intelligence applications are user-friendly and easy to use. This requires technology companies and research institutes to invest in user experience and cooperation with elderly people in product development. The development of technology will continue to be rapid in the future as well, and artificial intelligence applications will be an important part of services that support living at home.

A smart home can help monitor an elderly person's condition and detect abnormalities quickly, which in turn can lead to better treatment and possibly save the elderly person's life. Smart home technologies also help elderly people with everyday chores and offer them company and entertainment. Based on the research results, it can be recommended to increase awareness of how technology used at home can help elderly people.

Additional information:

Henri Kaijala

Private entrepreneur

+358 50 323 0979

henri@bmm-solutions.com

The author, Henri Kaijala, is a student of the Master degree in Business Administration. His thesis "Technology-supported housing for the elderly" will be completed in March from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences' degree program in social and health services and business management.

The thesis can be read in the Theseus database at https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202303224030 .