Abstract
There are over 21 million people aged over 50 years in the UK – a third of the total population – with 14 million people being aged over 60. By 2083, it is estimated that 1 in 3 people in the UK will be aged over 60. Assistive Living Technology products, such as telehealth and telecare and services are being developed to meet the needs of this consumer group. However, consumers have been slow to recognise the potential of these products. In this paper, a range of factors are presented which may act as barriers or enablers to purchase.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2013 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of the international conference on Ergonomics & Human Factors 2013, Cambridge, UK, 15-18 April 2013 |
| Publisher | CRC Press |
| Pages | 370-377 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781138000421 |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Apr 2013 |
| Event | International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2013 - Cambridge, United Kingdom Duration: 15 Apr 2013 → 18 Apr 2013 |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2013 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Cambridge |
| Period | 15/04/13 → 18/04/13 |
Bibliographical note
This was a conference paper given at IEHF Conference, 2013.Author's note: - Significance -
The aim of the three year, TSB funded, COMODAL - COnsumer MODels for Assisted Living - project is to develop a consumer market for assisted living technologies (ALTs) for younger older people (i.e. those approaching retirement and older age in the 50 – 70 year age range). This paper reports on research conducted in Year 1 to understand the needs of younger older people as both users and purchasers of ALTs and to investigate the barriers and enablers to ALT adoption for this group. This information will be used to design effective solutions to overcome these barriers and promote factors that will enable the ALT market to flourish through consumer led business models.
Rigour -
The provision of health care in the UK is changing along with its demographics. More people are expected to live longer, in their own homes and retain some independence. Alongside these changes an array of assistive technology is being developed. However, several gaps have been established in terms of designing knowing the needs of older consumers, and the consumers knowing what products are available and expressing a willingness to buy them.
Market and product reviews, street surveys and interviews with designers have reinforced the need to develop better consumer models , products and retail experiences.
Originality -
The originality of the work is in the development of new concumer and behavioural models for the assistive technology market.