Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

The aging of the world population has a strong impact on the world wide health care expenditure and is especially significant for countries providing free health care services to their population. One of the consequences is the increase in semi-autonomous persons requiring to be placed in specialized long term care centers. These kinds of facilities are very costly and often not appreciated by their residents. The idea of “aging in place” or living in one’s home independently is a key solution to counter the impact of institutionalization. It can decrease the costs for the institutions while maximizing the quality of life of the individuals. However, these semi-autonomous persons require assistance during their daily life activities that professionals cannot hope to completely fill. Many envision the use of the smart home concept, a home equipped with distributed sensors and effectors, to add an assistance layer for these semi-autonomous populations. Still, despite years of research, there are several challenges to overcome in order to implement the smart home dream. This chapter positions itself as an easy to read introduction for readers unfamiliar with the challenges faced by computer science researchers regarding this difficult endeavor. It aims to walk the reader through the cornerstones of smart home research for health care.