Providing Tailored Smart Home Solutions as Assistive Technology for People With Physical Disabilities

Tailored smart home technology is crucial for enhancing the independence and occupational performance of individuals with physical disabilities, providing technological support for independent living.

To evaluate the effects of tailored smart home solutions on occupational performance, task performance, quality of life, and psychosocial impact and examine the efficacy of occupational therapist-led interventions.

A preintervention-postintervention design to assess the impact of user-specific smart home solutions in real-world environments.

Community-based setting.

Forty individuals with physical disabilities. Outcomes and Measures Assessments included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure for occupational performance and satisfaction, the EuroQol-5 Dimension for quality of life, and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale for psychosocial impact. Task performance across different spaces was measured on a 3-point Likert scale (1 = inability to perform, 2 = assisted performance, 3 = independent performance). Weekly monitoring evaluated usage safety and spatial safety to assess adaptation and effectiveness.

After implementation of the smart home solution, participants showed significant improvements in occupational performance, quality of life, and psychosocial impact (p < .001). Task performance improved notably in key areas, including lighting control, door unlocking, and the use of electronic devices.

Tailored smart home solutions, delivered through occupational therapy-based interventions, effectively enhance occupational and task performance and improve psychosocial well-being. These findings support the clinical application of smart home technologies to promote participation and independent living for individuals with physical disabilities. Plain-Language Summary: This study demonstrates the clinical applicability of tailored smart home technology in occupational therapy interventions to promote participation and independent living for individuals with physical disabilities. Tailored smart home solutions effectively enhance occupational and task performance and improve psychosocial well-being. The findings provide a foundation for offering practical support to individuals as well as to caregivers.