Older People’s Quality of Life and Role of Home-Based Technology

ABSTRACT Household devices may have a positive impact on daily lives by reducing the burden of several tasks and enriching social interaction. There are varieties of assistive devices such as alarms, sensors, detectors, and life style monitoring devices, which can help in compensating for the activity limitations caused by impairments. This study aimed to review the contribution that residential technology devices can make to older people’s lives. An open-ended literature review following the guidance of the Centre for Review and Dissemination was conducted to establish the current understanding of the topics by using clear and appropriate criteria to select or reject studies. The studies entered into the review were limited by language, topic, and date of publication. The research literature indicated that residential facilities which appropriately are designed and supplied can have many benefits for older people such as increasing independence, maximising physical and mental health, and improving their quality of life. Although most of the literature has explored the positive effects of technology devices on older adults’ social networks, independence, psychological well-being, and social status, the possibilities of negative consequences have been neglected.