How smart homes are used to support older people: An integrative review

The number of healthy older people is increasing, and most of them want to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Smart home technology can support living at home, but synthetised knowledge of previous studies about their suitability for the everyday lives of older people is rare.

Data for this integrated review were obtained by searching the PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus databases from 2012 to 2019, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then carrying out quality appraisals of the papers that were selected.

We identified 944 papers, and 16 were included in the review. According to our analysis, smart home solutions for older people focused on devices for daily and healthy living and older people's safety. The smart home solutions they discussed were used to help older people carry out everyday activities and lead healthier and more fulfilled lives, by improving their physical safety and social communication. Older people reported that smart homes improved their sense of security, quality of daily life and activities and provided them with information about the care they could receive. However, research on older people playing an active role in developing smart home technology was lacking.

The existing literature focused on evaluating daily activities with routine measurements. There has been a lack of research that has focused on older people's experiences as the end users of this technology. However, the papers lacked data on how older people could maintain their social relationships and become more proactive in daily living.

With further development, smart homes can be used to support older people to perform daily activities and help them maintain their social relationships. These steps will ensure that they can continue to live independently in their own homes for longer.