Enabling Assistive Technologies to Shape the Future of the Intensive Senior-Centred Care: A Case Study Approach

Nowadays, the proportion in the older ages and the average life expectancy is increasing dramatically throughout the world. The health problems associated with wealthy and aged populations has been an issue of great concern to a broad and expanding number of people. Appropriate healthcare ITC-based technologies and services have to cope with this situation. Some specific challenges related to senior-centred care as well as impediments to acceptance of health-related digital approaches by elderly persons are underlined in this paper. The assistive technologies play a major role in increasing, maintaining; or improving the functional capabilities of seniors as well as in creating the opportunities for ageing in place. This paper aims to illustrate how an ongoing eHealth solution can be further upgraded by integrating some of the latest assistive technologies devices. A brief presentation of some representative devices (such as wearable sensors, mHealth apps and in home monitoring system) highlights their benefits for the senior healthcare delivery. The current phase of the "Conceptual Model for a Platform of Integrated Services based on Cloud for Home Monitoring of Seniors affected by Dementia (MSI-MDD)" project is put in. A proposed extended architecture of MSI-MDD platform is provided emphasizing the benefits of the integration of the most appropriate assistive technologies for an improved remote senior-centered healthcare service delivery.