Living better, living independently through e-Assisted Living Technologies

Widespread demographic changes indicate an aging population in developed societies. Ageing is associated with the onset of conditions which impact on health and the continued ability to live independently. International governments are concerned at the financial and social implications of this trend and are urgently seeking affordable solutions. This research-in-progress paper describes early findings from research investigating new sustainable consumer generated business models for electronic Assisted Living Technologies (e-ALT). The paper includes a synthesis of the existing barriers to the development of e-ALT in the relevant literature, then summarizes a market analysis, a street survey, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with industry leaders. Initial findings suggest that there is a major disjoint between consumer needs and wants, and the existing provision of products and services. Barriers to consumer satisfaction are highlighted, together with discussion of consumer generated solutions to these barriers and how these might be implemented. Changes to allow new business models are proposed.