Internet of Things to enhanced living and care environments for elderly: Applications and challenges

IoT and smartphone app for elderly pill management

“…Therefore, many elderly people need to take medication for treating and controlling chronic diseases daily in order to maintain a high level of quality of life. Some factors, such as cognitive decline, memory difficulties, reduced vision, and difficulty handling medication packaging, can compromise medication adherence [1]. In order to provide proper health care to the elderly population, these obstacles must be overcome.…”

“…Besides there are applications and devices focused on medication management in the market, we argue that (i) applications available in market stores such as Google Play and the App Store still need to improve their accessibility by simplifying the user interface and incorporating features such as audio and video, making instructions clearer and more understandable. Usability is one of the main challenges, especially for the elderly population and those who are not very familiar with the technology [1]. (ii) Medication case devices are either very simple, such as simple plastic cases, or very expensive, costing hundreds of dollars.…”

“…Over the years, advances in healthcare technologies have significantly contributed to improving people's quality of life and increasing longevity. Pill management is essential to the independence of elderly people added to new advances in applications for monitoring diary activities, detecting falls, and implementing preventive measures to improve their quality of life [1]. The applications with IoT and elderly people in scientific literature, recently demonstrated a small advance in the sense of elderly healthcare and concerns about technology usage, mainly with the technology handling [5].…”