Recent advancements in Internet of Things (IoT) have introduced many smart home technologies that can provide higher levels of care and convenience to residents. This study aims at understanding user experience in a more connected home and the extent to which previous experience with and exposure to smart home systems can influence user acceptance and adoption of smart home technologies. Using a smart home prototype, a 3-week field trial was conducted to simulate an integrated home environment. Data were gathered after self-installation and after completion of the trial. Results show that technology exposure had positive influence on participants’ attitudes and opinions towards using smart home systems for various tasks. Moreover, participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the self-installation process which aimed to address consumers’ complaints regarding complex setup processes. Results will be discussed based on the practical and commercial implications regarding deployment of home devices.
Costs of caregiving go beyond physical, mental, and emotional; the financial costs are astronomical. On average, family caregivers spend 26% of their income on caregiving (AARP 2021). As the need for family caregivers grows due to longer lifespans (AARP 2020), incorporating the topic of caregiving into financial planning for longevity conversations becomes increasingly necessary. Drawing on data from the MIT AgeLab Caregiver Panel, a research panel of over 1400 family caregivers, and from the MIT AgeLab Preparing for Longevity Advisory Network, a research panel of over 900 financial professionals, this presentation will describe mixed methods research findings that highlight caregivers’ and financial professionals’ attitudes and perceptions toward caregiving as a topic within client-advisor conversations. Results demonstrate that many caregivers wish they had financially planned for the costs of caregiving more than they did. However, caregivers rarely turn to their financial advisors for support; many perceive their value to be strictly financial and are unaware of their advisors’ ability to support them. Despite caregivers’ doubts, most financial professionals feel equipped and willing to have caregiving-related conversations with clients. Additionally, while over three-quarters of financial professionals reported making referrals to outside resources for caregiving-related support, some critical avenues – including social workers and therapists, support groups, and respite care providers – were underutilized. Implications of these findings for caregivers and professionals of various industries will also be discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.