Abstract

This project aims to define and propose solutions of “Assisted Living” to the Old Portuguese population so a healthier aging process can take place in domestic spaces. This can be achieved through:

• studying and testing of improvements and changes of the different houses components and its close surroundings;
• proposing for adaptation of domestic places and equipments allowing its users to experience the maximum of autonomy, well being and comfort, with non-intrusive solutions;
• revising upon similar and or complementary studies and research projects already undertaken, both at national and international levels, that were driven by the concepts of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) and Aging-in-place (AiP).

To realize this goal, an interdisciplinary research team was established. The project targets a selected and perfectly identified segment of the Portuguese population – persons that will have in the year 2020 ages between 65 and 85 years old (along the study the age boundaries will be better defined and justified), that prefers aging in its domestic ambient, which will allow him(her) to feel better integrated in society. It is in its essence a holistic
approach to the problem’s understanding that will seek to define and propose integrated solutions. This work will also take into account the evaluation of the socioeconomics aspects of living at home or at a care assisted institution options.
The research will start with a preliminary analysis of: a) the needs and aspirations on the part of potential old users; b) the target population domestic ambient characteristics not only in terms of space but also of the equipments and objects. That will be done through: (i) the use of surveys, (ii) the application of evaluation scales to determine the degree of dependence/autonomy of the targeted population, (iii) analysis of similar case studies that finally will be confronted with (iv) the use of virtual and physical prototypes, (real scale ones to support ethnographic studies).
Domestic integrated solutions will be identified, having as a departure point the multidisciplinary concepts of AAL e AiP and integrating technology and knowledge from several technical scientific areas such as the information processing technologies, electronic computation, architecture, design, health with a special focus on non-intrusive solutions. The team will propose integrated solutions that will make possible to have:

1. An ambient interaction technologies making use of users privacy non-intrusive methods such as distributed pervasive sensor networks;
2. The acquisition, monitoring and management of parameters such as well-being, health and personal safety in the domestic ambient;
3. The management and consequent rationalization of the energy consumption in these spaces;
4. Innovation in surrounding spaces, objects and costumes.

Furthermore this research will identify a set of good practices that not only might influence the diverse economic agents involved in dwelling, namely the municipalities, the construction sector, the furniture manufacturing one as well as the communications one but also will allow us to propose new legislation. This legislation with adequate normalization can be used by the State in a sustainable economic perspective focused upon the promotion of an active aging in the traditional domestic ambient, healthy and inclusive to the targeted population.
The work will be developed during three years. On the first year it will be defined the universe of knowledge to integrate in the research as well as it will be done the definition of the target population and specific goals to be achieved by the different disciplinary areas that participate in this study. On the second year it will be detailed and initiated the development of the ambient system to be built as a laboratorial prototype. Finally on the third year the obtained results will be analyzed and used to structure all the acquired technical and scientific knowledge and recommendations will be formulated regarding further developments to be made in this domain.
We consider this project one of high interest and relevance in face of the population’s quick aging that leads to the necessity of creating to them conditions that will enable an autonomous, safe, comfortable and high quality domestic ambient. This can only be possible, through a multidisciplinary and transversal approach to the problems and knowledge areas involved integrating several dwelling facets in domestic spaces, benefiting from the synergies created along the process, vital to the exploitation of the house as a user’s prosthesis that we assume based upon the following premises:

• the house/living ambient will only be reformulated if and when necessary;
• the prosthesis or part of it (for example the technology) is only used as an user’s function and will be dissimulated in the space;
• any proposed solution (in its parts or as a whole) will be obligatorily scrutinised by this enlarged panel of experts.