Title: Smart care spaces: needs for intelligent at-home care

Authors: Andrew M. Thomas; Philip Moore; Hanifa Shah; Cain Evans; Mak Sharma; Fatos Xhafa; Sarah Mount; Hai V. Pham; Anthony J. Wilcox; Asma Patel; Craig Chapman; Parmjit Chima

Addresses: Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Department of Software, Technical University of Catalonia, C. Jordi Girona, 29 08034, Barcelona, Spain ' School of Technology, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, UK ' Soft Intelligence Laboratory, Department of Human and Computer Intelligence, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK ' Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Birmingham City University, 1 Curzon Street, Birmingham, UK

Abstract: Pressures on the availability of healthcare spaces, the high costs of institutional care, and the desires of those being cared for, cause a current move toward care either at home or within low-supervision environments. This brings about an important question: how can smart care spaces be created that intelligently link the home care environment to the needs of the cared-for? To a significant degree this involves development of sensored spaces connected to intelligent computer-systems. However, that intelligence requires an understanding of how sensors can provide more than just environmental variables, instead making systems aware of symptoms, comfort and potential needs for intervention. Therefore, this paper discusses the current need for development of smart care spaces, provides an introduction to some of the cost-effective sensors available, and reviews links between sensor data and medical conditions. It will conclude that there is a growing need for smart care spaces that allow effective monitoring of home care, where the cared-for can benefit from that monitoring in a familiar and dignity-preserving environment.

Keywords: smart care spaces; healthcare spaces; costs; cost-effective sensors; sensing; space-based computing; situated computing; intelligent care; home care; low supervision; homecare monitoring; remote monitoring.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSC.2013.051988

International Journal of Space-Based and Situated Computing, 2013 Vol.3 No.1, pp.35 - 44

Received: 25 Aug 2012
Accepted: 05 Sep 2012
Published online: 23 Aug 2014 *

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