Adoption of Smart Home Technologies: A Qualitative Exploration of Older Adults’ and Their Family Members’ Experiences

Older adults (OA) may consider smart home technology (SHT) as a means of aging in place. Family members may feel peace of mind by seeing sensor data patterns of their loved ones, signifying when activity patterns are "typical" or "unusual." Understanding both the perspectives of OAs and their families will help practitioners making SHT recommendations. Investigators used a phenomenological approach, eliciting both OA (<i>n</i> = 5) and family members' (<i>n</i> = 4) experiences. In-depth older adult interviews occurred 8-months post-installation and family interviews occurred 2-months post-installation. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes. Older adult themes included: <i>don't need it-not worth it; it changed/didn't change anything</i>, and <i>could be helpful for someone else</i>. Family member themes included: <i>she loves alexa</i> and [<i>It</i>] <i>gave her peace of mind</i>. While OAs and families described similar criteria for who would benefit from SHT, they differed in whether such technology was personally useful.