FlexPersonas: flexible design of IoT-based home healthcare systems targeted at the older adults

The advance in Internet of Things technology has increased the opportunities for a healthcare system design, which is an urgent need owing to the growth in population among the older adults in many countries. This requires giving thought to the kind of innovative technological design methods that can find suitable solutions for home care. The application of Health Smart Homes by means of the technologies of the Internet of Things, can be used to support rehabilitation treatment and help the senior citizens to understand the importance of taking measures to maintain a healthy standard of living that can meet their needs. The aim of this article is to develop and assess a design method for the following purposes: (1) to determine and map out the physical and emotional state of the home care users, such as senior citizens; (2) to implement a participatory design that includes the user within its social, psychological and therapeutic context; (3) to explore the flexible method when applied to older users; (4) to provide a way for the users to be “personalized” through a wide range of solutions that involve analyzing the behavioral patterns of different individuals in a standardized manner and (5) to define a set of smart technologies for each problem and senior citizen. This article sets out a collaborative method called FlexPersonas, which is employed for the flexible mapping of users and to improve decision-making with the support of Internet of Things technologies. In this context, computing systems can identify the behavior of the user and issue warnings to the Carers about any abnormal event (for example falls or accidents). Studies with an interdisciplinary team point out the potential and drawbacks of the method.