www.ausmt.org 233 auSMT Vol. 5 No. 4 (2015) Copyright © 2015 International Journal of Automation and Smart Technology ORIGINAL ARTICLE Smart Home Strategies for User-Centered Functional Assessment of Older Adults Vijay Kumar Ravishankar 1 , Winslow Burleson 2, *, and Diane Mahoney 3 1 Arizona State University 2 New York University 3 MGH Institute of Health Professions (Received 14 May 2015; Accepted 18 July 2015; Published on line 1 December 2015) *Corresponding author: wb50@nyu.edu DOI: 10.5875/ausmt.v5i4.952 Abstract: Successful aging, independence and capacity for aging in place involves the maintenance and preservation of iŶdiǀiduals’ physical, mental and social well-being. Elderly people need to maintain the capacity to perform both activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Advances in Smart Home technologies are increasingly able to provide embedded assessments of an iŶdiǀidual’s fuŶĐtioŶal aďility in his/her home on a moment- to-moment, daily, and longitudinal basis. To date, in-situ functional assessment systems and research have focused to a greater extent on the advancement of technologies rather than the multi-faceted needs and experiences of users, however the success of any technology depends more on the users than the technology itself. This paper presents strategies for user-centric approaches to identify the technical and design challenges of developing, deploying, and using functional assessment systems in homes occupied by senior citizens. Case studies involved 4 healthy older adults (aged 65+), and examined the home deployment of smart home systems and interfaces aimed at assessment of a combination of ADL and IADL activities. Pre- and post-activity interviews were used to better understand issues related to desire, privacy, technological acceptance, suitability, and need fulfillment/support. The results inform strategies for user- centered functional assessment and assistive technology design and implementation, providing information capture, analysis, and delivery of in-home functional assessment that has the potential to support aging in place. Keywords: Assistive technology, functional assessment, context aware computing, smart home, design Introduction Populations in both developed and developing countries are rapidly aging. It is projected that by the year 2050, the number of people over 60 years of age will reach 2 billion [1]. Older adults generally prefer to live independently in their own homes (i.e., aging in place). However, to do so, they must be functionally stable and capable of performing essential daily activities on their own. Successful aging requires them to be aware of their cognitive and physical limitations and adapt themselves by making necessary adjustments to live independently. Even live-in caregivers of older adults who watch them perform their daily activities are not consistently able to accurately identify many subtle changes in behavior and capability [18]. Without specialized training it is hard for individuals to track these changes reliably, day in and day out. Even healthy older adults encounter challenges due to normal age-related changes. Such cognitive, physical, and perceptual changes often increase the difficulty of activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, bathing and dressing, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as cooking, housework, and managing finances. To enable older adults to age in place independently, it is critical to assess their functional ability. Sensor-based technologies have advanced substantially in recent years. The increasing popularity and availability of smart home and embedded sensor technologies present great opportunities to advance embedded assessment of functional ability. Sensors embedded into everyday objects can allow for unobtrusive, objective tracking of a