Aim
This pilot study aimed to explore the impact of Smart Home technology to support older people’s quality of life, particularly for those who live alone.
Background
There has been an increased interest in using innovative technologies and artificial intelligence to enable Smart Home technology to support older people to age independently in their own homes.
Methods
This study used a pre‐and post‐test design. The seven item Personal Wellbeing Index was used to measure participants’ subjective quality of life across seven quality of life domains. Participants (n = 60) aged between 68 and 90 years (M = 80.10, SD = 5.56) completed a 12‐week personalised Smart Home technology program.
Results
Approximately half of the participants lived alone (48.3%). Participants’ quality of life significantly increased (p = 0.010) after Smart Home use. Two domains, “achieving in life” (p = 0.026) and “future security” (p = 0.004), were also significantly improved after participating in the Smart Home technology program. Improvements in quality of life did not vary as a function of living arrangement (all ps > .152, all ηp2 > .00).
Conclusion
The current study provides preliminary evidence for the role of Smart Home technology in supporting older people’s quality of life, particularly their sense of achieving in life and future security.
Background
The objective of this study was to conduct a web‐based questionnaire to investigate self‐reported phenotypes and disease burdens of individuals living in Australia and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) using a case–control study design.
Methods
An online questionnaire was distributed to individuals with CF and healthy control subjects. Overall health rating, medications, family history, education, clinical indicators of disease, and symptoms, including their severity and frequency, were evaluated.
Results
There was a total of 119 respondents consisting of 59 people living with CF and 60 controls. The CF cohort had significantly lower tertiary educational levels compared to controls. The analysis specific to the CF cohort depicted a significant correlation between the frequency of hospitalizations and the level of education in the CF cohort. Of the 26 self‐reported symptoms of CF that were analyzed, 14 were significantly higher in the people living with CF. The CF cohort reporting symptoms of chronic pain (25%) described an increase in the burden of disease, depicting a 30% longer mean hospitalization, increased consumption of medications and significant relationships with four other symptoms, including muscle aches, digestive issues, pancreatic insufficiency, and abdominal swelling.
Conclusions
The nationwide survey identified a diverse range of clinical manifestations experienced by the Australian CF population. Chronic pain, linked to aging and the changing landscape of disease, was a significant indicator of the burden of disease. A comprehensive understanding of the phenotypic profiles and symptom variability will contribute to future research and provide insights into the impacts of disease and the burden of therapy, particularly in children, at the start of their health journey.
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