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  • Essay / Telehealth monitoring for elderly patients at home

    The focus on building smart city technologies has gained importance in recent years due to demographic changes in the life expectancy of elderly residents in an urbanized community. With the ease and affordability of using technology, there is a need to create cities that are aware of the special needs of older people so that they can age in place. The benefits of emerging technological supports are to promote health and improve the quality of life of older adults. For example, the implementation of smart home technologies will encourage and enable older people to live longer in their own homes, safely and independently. According to Thang (2011), social isolation can lead to loneliness, smaller social networks, poorer health, and difficulty accessing health services. Therefore, the use of smart technologies and devices such as the Internet or mobile applications encourage social integration and maintain community connections among older adults to reduce loneliness and prevent social isolation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. Additionally, technologies such as telehealth and telemedicine can empower older adults to take charge of their own health and delay the onset of long-term complications. while suffering from one or more chronic illnesses. Despite its potential to generate benefits for older adults, caregivers and service providers, technology-assisted lifestyle innovation carries risks and challenges. The elderly population does not constitute a homogeneous group and the implementation of a smart home does not provide a universal solution. Implementation of technology in the home varies depending on conditions of use, lifestyles and needs in order to maintain functioning and quality of life for older adults. It is necessary to build more sustainable technological models in the long term. Critical issues of accessibility and user privacy must be considered. This includes financial affordability, technical accessibility and usability of the system, user trust and acceptance. Seniors who do not live in the information technology age may not be comfortable or familiar with advanced smart home technologies. A lack of knowledge and skills on how to use apps can cause confusion and fear among older adults. Another problem is the aging process which affects the physical dexterity of older people. They are cognitively slower to learn and are therefore more reluctant to use technology. They also have different difficulties and expectations regarding the types of aids used, compared to younger users. Some fear that less educated older people will end up being marginalized due to their lack of computer skills. This highlights the importance of adequately meeting the physical, psychological and social needs of end users. Singapore is embracing technology and focusing more on personal health, as this requires our city to become more dynamic in how it approaches the challenges of making elderly care more effective. Many technologies deployed through our Smart Nation initiative have helped our seniors age 2030.