Attitudes and perceptions of adults of 60 years and older towards in-home monitoring of the activities of daily living with contactless sensors: An explorative study

Background and objectives: Contactless monitoring is increasingly used to enhance qualitative and cost-effective care for older persons. Succesful integration of this technology in older peoples' daily lives, depends on their acceptance of these systems. The primary purpose was to explore attitudes and perceptions of adults of 60 years and older towards contactless monitoring of the activities of daily living. Design, participants and methods: A questionnaire was developed, validated and used in a cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample (n = 245). The results were presented using descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses to explore variables associated with willingness to install the technology. Results: Descriptive statistics indicate that adults of 60 years and older find contactless monitoring useful for various purposes (e.g. to remain living at home longer, safely and independently; for timely detection of emergency situations and gradually emerging health problems). They agree to share collected information with professional caregivers and own access to the data is valued. Respondents like to take part in diverse decisions about the monitoring (e.g. about the rooms in which it is installed, the type of sensors used and access of third parties to collected information). However, several concerns were expressed related to the functioning and financing of contactless monitoring. Bivariate analyses show that both socio-demographic factors (e.g. age, receiving professional home care) and attitudes and perceptions towards contactless monitoring (e.g. on its potential usefulness, on the availability of collected information, on the functional requirements and financial costs of the system and on the use of video cameras) can promote or impede acceptance of the technology. Conclusions: This explorative study indicates that older adults are willing to incorporate contactless monitoring in later life or when their health declines. They agree to share collected information with professional caregivers and clearly demand for participation in decisions about the technology. Various concerns and requirements provide implications for clinical practice and future research. Thereby, technology developpers, policy makers and professional caregivers can promote the implementation of contactless monitoring in the care for older adults. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.