INTRODUCTION:
Continuing to age in place remains the dominant preference for older adults worldwide1. However, ensuring that ongoing, comprehensive care can be provided for this group is a challenge for professional care providers in many disciplines2. One tool with potential to mitigate this challenge and increase the capacity of the care workforce is Active Assisted Living (AAL), or internet-connected technologies that support independent living3,4. However, AAL’s precise role in the care provider-older adult dynamic, particularly the ways it could be most valuable in care provision, remains imprecise4. To explore this, it is necessary to understand care provider’ needs from AAL, and what devices, data, and indicators are most valuable to different disciplines.

METHODS:
A Delphi Study was conducted with two groups of care professionals: medical (n=9) and allied (n=8). Over three surveys, participants were asked to (1) list valuable AAL devices, data, and indicators; (2) approve the resulting lists of devices, data, and indicators; and (3) rate the practical value of items on those lists. Participants were also invited to participate in optional interviews to expand on their answers.

RESULTS:
While participants in both groups raised several common items, there was some thematic divergence. Participants in the medical group prioritized AAL that could be directly used and interpreted within biomedical practice, whereas those in the allied group were more interested in holistic wellbeing. Participants also noted the importance of being able to adapt AAL to older adults’ particular context, and raised practical issues like cultural sensitivity and affordability.

CONCLUSIONS:
AAL offers many potential benefits to care providers, but in order to be valuable, solutions cannot be one-size-fits-all. It is also notable that past work in AAL has been very focused on the clinical context, but this may not be the best use of its potential.