IOS Press published the "Handbook of Ambient Assisted Living - Technology for Healthcare, Rehabilitation and Well-being" in its Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments series.
Today, healthcare and social care services are usually delivered independently. This leads to inefficiencies, duplication of resources, and potentially to reduced levels of quality of care, and in extreme cases to premature death. Older people are particularly affected by this situation, since they often need both types of services, such as support with daily living activities and chronic disease management.
At the same time, the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support integrated service delivery remains largely unexploited.
Against this background, CommonWell aims to support high quality independent living and wellbeing for older people across Europe by integrating ICT-based services across provider organisations on open platforms.
10 partners are cooperating in the project, supported financially by the European Commission, to deliver ICT-enabled integrated health and social care services in four Member States. The services are to support the effective management of chronic disease, and to address issues which affect independence, such as reduced agility, vision or hearing, in order to significantly improve the quality of life for older people and their families.
