The aging of the population has led to a growing interest in finding new ways of providing care for the elderly. Researchers are seeking better technological solutions, particularly improved support for aging at home. One common strategy involves monitoring of the elderly, either by medical staff or the elderly. We are pursuing a different approach: providing technology that makes it easier for the elderly to care for each other. This approach is derived from our interviews with recent widows who have created a tiny network of friends, each of whom takes responsible for checking on the others while remaining secure in the knowledge that the others will look out for them.
We are currently investigating how communication appliances can enhance such reciprocal care among the elderly, or 'peercare'. Our goal is to increase independence and satisfaction while increasing the time the elderly can live safely at home. Communication appliances provide private, easy-to-use peer-to-peer networks among close family and friends, allowing users to exchange text, voice, images, and even video, in a simple and secure way. We are using participatory design to design and modify communication appliances together with the elderly, and will test them in their homes.
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