Topic > Telemedicine Monitoring for Elderly Patients at Home

The focus on building smart city technologies has gained greater importance in recent years due to demographic changes in the life expectancy of seniors living in an urbanized community. With the increasing ease and convenience of using technology, we need to create cities that are aware of the specific needs of older adults so they can age in place. The benefits of emerging technological supports are to promote health and increase the quality of life of the elderly. For example, the creation of smart home technologies will encourage and enable older adults to live safely and independently in their homes longer. According to Thang (2011), social isolation can lead to loneliness, smaller social networks, poorer health, and difficulty accessing health services. Therefore, the use of smart technologies and devices such as the Internet or mobile applications encourages social integration and maintains community connection among older adults to reduce loneliness and prevent social isolation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Not only that, technologies such as telemedicine and telemedicine can allow seniors to take care of their health and delay the onset of long-term complications despite having one or more chronic diseases. Despite its potential to generate benefits for older adults, caregivers, and service providers, technologically assisted lifestyle innovation comes with risks and challenges. The elderly population is not a homogeneous group and the creation of a smart home does not allow a single solution valid for everyone. The implementation of technology in the home varies based on the user's conditions, lifestyles and needs in order to maintain the functionality and quality of life of the elderly. It is necessary to build technological models that are more sustainable in the long term. Critical issues related to user accessibility and privacy need to be considered. This includes financial accessibility, technical accessibility and ease of use of the system, user trust and acceptance. Elderly people who do not live in the age of information technology may not be comfortable and familiar with advanced smart home technologies. A lack of knowledge and skills on how to use applications can lead to confusion and fear among older people. Another issue is the aging process which affects the physical dexterity of older people. They are cognitively slower to learn and therefore more averse to the use of technology. Furthermore, they have different difficulties and expectations regarding the type of aids used compared to younger users. There are fears that less educated older adults could end up being marginalized due to their lack of IT skills. This highlights the importance of adequately addressing the physical, psychological and social needs of end users. Singapore is embracing technology and focusing more on personal health, as it forces our city to become more vibrant in how it tackles the challenges of making elderly care more efficient. Many of the technologies implemented as part of our Smart Nation initiative have helped our seniors age safely in their own homes by allowing them to receive help from their support network. For example, the use of the Smart Elderly Monitoring and Alert System (SEMAS), developed by HDB and four suppliers has the ability to track behavior 2030.