Assisting age related capabilities by ambient technology to prevent functional decline

The elderly is characterized by age related capabilities and handicaps. Whereas age related capabilities like plasticity and adaptability on changing living conditions can lead to subjective well-being and support the recovery of limiting conditions like disease and disability, age related handicaps can enforce these conditions. Multimorbidity can lead to acute and chronic functional decline, especially when limiting conditions are enforced by age related handicaps. In a “circulus vitiosus” disease and disability threaten the independence of the elderly that leads to immobility, social isolation, depression and other health conditions with amplification and generation of new diseases. Ambient Technology has the potential to interrupt this “circulus vitiosus” by limiting age related handicaps, assist age related capabilities, prevent acute or chronic diseases and as a consequence can improve the quality of life of elderly and their care giving relatives. In this overview we demo...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: DAGSTUHL
• Authors: Mehmet Gövercin, Richard Willmann, Gerd Lanfermann, Tobias Kraft, Stefan Mix, Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen
• Keywords: Age Related Capabilities, Age Related Handicaps, Conditions, DAGSTUHL 2007, Software Engineering