Experiences of Older Adults Using Smart-Home Technology in a Senior-Living Community

PURPOSE: To both understand how older adults living independently in a senior living community and their family members experience the use of smart home technologies and whether these technologies affect activity level, communication, and sense of well-being.

DESIGN: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to understand the experience of independent older adults adopting smart home technology into the context of their daily lives. Participants of the study included older adults living independently in a senior living community and their designated family member.

METHOD: A convenience sample of 10 participants was recruited from the senior living community and screened for cognition. Those willing to participate who met the cognitive requirement, agreed to have the smart home technology installed and choose a family member to receive data output from the smart home technology were included in the study.

Participants participated in a series of in-depth interviews prior to receiving the technology, within two months of installation and then again within 8 months of installation. At initial interview participants were asked questions to build a picture or elicit an understanding of their typical day to day activity. At post installation questions were asked to gain an understanding of participants’ experiences in adopting the technology. Participants were asked to describe their experiences and discuss how contextual factors influenced that experience. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Researchers coded the data using modified grounded theory methods supported by NVivo® software. Each transcript was open coded by one member of the research team and verified by a second researcher. The team then completed axial and selective coding to understand the essence of participants’ experiences with the technology. This study was approved monitored by the IRB of St. Catherine University.

RESULTS: Of the 10 participants, five completed all aspects of the study. The essence of the experience in using the technology can be described by a change that occurred between the first and second post-installation interviews. Within two months of installation, the themes centered on the older adults’ enjoyment with the use of Alexa, questions or uncertainty about how to use the data output (dashboard), and comments related to being overwhelmed with the information presented by the technology provider. Six months after installation, themes centered on reductions in the ways the technology was used and a recognition that their communication, sense of well-being, and daily activities stayed pretty much the same as before they received the technology. Most of the participants wanted to participate in the study because they wanted to help the student researchers. Family members said that using the dashboard to see how their loved one was doing was a comfort to them. Two family members used the data they received on their dashboard to suggest changes to the older adult’s daily living patterns.

CONCLUSION: Independent older adults residing in a senior living community did not feel smart home technology changed their daily activities, sense of well-being, or communication with family members. Family members did however, feel peace of mind in viewing the dashboard data. Both family members and the older adults thought that the technology would be beneficial for other older adults, such as those living alone outside of a senior living community or those with declining health. Researchers learned that older adults desire to contribute to research may have outweighed their desire to use the technology.

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