JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

COVID-19 has added an impetus to an already growing trend around the use of Ambient Assistive Living (AAL) technologies to support seniors who live alone and require assistance. The challenge, however, is that systematic research on the long-term usage of AAL technologies remains in its nascent stages, leaving gaps in understanding of the predictors that contribute to the routine embedding of AAL technologies in senior care.

Objective:

This viewpoint shares key lessons from a longitudinal mixed-methods study on the routine embedding of AAL technologies in senior care within a previously understudied Southeast Asian context. By presenting a qualitative narrative, we aim to promote the sustainable adoption of AAL technologies for older adults.

Methods:

We achieved our objective through an in-depth case study, employing a mixed-methods design, which is well-suited for topics where existing research is fragmented or lacking. Given the shortage of research on the routinization of AAL technologies in the care of seniors, we utilized semi-structured interviews to capture older adults' and their caregivers’ perceptions of the technology and the evolution thereof. We used our AAL technology, termed Ubiquitous Service MAnagement and Reasoning archiTecture (Ubismart) to capture and visualize the seniors’ activities of daily living (ADL).

Results:

AAL technologies had a positive impact on certain QoL dimensions for seniors, particularly in terms of psychological well-being and a heightened sense of safety. Many participants reported feeling more secure and less fearful with the technology in place, which they likened to "insurance" or a reassuring presence in their homes. However, the impact on social relationships was paradoxical: while some seniors felt that the technology made caregivers more attentive, others felt more isolated, expressing that the presence of sensors reduced in-person visits. This paradox highlights the complexities of technology’s role in caregiving, as it may simultaneously enhance feelings of safety while unintentionally diminishing social connection for some seniors.

Conclusions:

AAL technologies like Ubismart enhance seniors' psychological well-being and sense of safety but may inadvertently reduce social interaction. Sustainable integration requires balancing these benefits with efforts to maintain meaningful caregiver connections, supporting both safety and social engagement for older adults. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06486935.