User acceptance in a pervasive care platform: Integrating a social alarm system in a communication network

Abstract

This position paper describes a social alarm system integrated in a larger communication platform. This platform, developed in the TranseCare project, uses audio/video communication to allow elderly users to make calls to friends and relatives, and to make alarm calls to a centralized alarm center. Combining these functionalities, it allows older users who live independently to stay in touch with the people they know without leaving their homes. At the same time, it can make them feel more safe, knowing they can contact an alarm center at any given time, in case of emergency. Moreover, the combination of a communication system with a social alarm system could make the acceptance of the alarm system easier, as the focus of the entire system is not only on healthcare-related issues.