Smart technologies to assist future older Australians

A wide range of smart technologies are available to assist older Australians to live safely and to live well at home and in the community, according to a new report by the University of Melbourne’s Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society (IBES).

With the growing number of older Australians, the use of smart technologies such as computers, tablets, and smartphones can aid and lower the future demands for aged care facilities by allowing them to stay in their home longer with the support of such technologies along with access to cost effective broadband services.

Statistics shows that in 1901 the average life expectancy in Australia was 47 years. By 2025 it will be over 80. In 2050, 25% of Australians will be aged over 65, with 5% over 85.

The IBES report, led by Professor Meg Morris, Head of School of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne, points out that it will be possible to prolong the period living at home and at the same time feel safe. Monitoring and treatment of chronic diseases can be of higher quality and more continuous as rehabilitation and many health and social care services can be received in the home setting.

Smart home technology is currently available to assist older people to stay living at home, including those with impairments, activity limitations and disabilities. Additionally, the report indicates that the rollout of the National Broadband Network offers a unique opportunity to link Australians with state-of-the-art technologies with the potential to improve health, well being and quality of life.

“The National Broadband Network coupled with other new technologies could be better used by healthcare agencies, such as district nursing services, general practitioners and allied health professionals to work more effectively and efficiently in the home and community, to better enable health and wellbeing.”

The report, which includes review and analysis of 8,521 articles on the use of smart technologies to support ageing around the world, is an essential resource for policies and procedures for installation of smart technologies into homes and communities – which also forms part of the National Broadband Network endeavour.

Expert claims tablets and smart phones will phase out NBN

• Expert says NBN Co is just a waste of money 
• Survey reveals 71 percent of Australians use laptop, tablet or smartphone 
• Chief Technology Officer fights back against NBN phase out claims 

Quantum Market Research analyst David Chalke, a prominent social analyst, has argued that the rise of mobile internet through tablets and smart phones threatens to make the $36bn National Broadband Network (NBN) project a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.


The Herald Sun has reported that Chalke said NBN Co was “missing the boat”.
Chalke has based his claims from the results of the Australia SCAN social trend survey, showing 71 per cent of the 2000 Australian respondents owned a laptop, smartphone or tablet.


"Everything is going to be wireless by the time they’ve dug up the roads and stuffed the pipes,” he said.


“It will be too late, it’s all going to be mobile and wireless in the future,” he told Herald Sun.


Chief Technology Officer refutes NBN phase out claims NBN Co chief technology officer Gary McLaren has countered Chalke’s claims, saying that Australians prefer fixed lines for downloads and video streaming.


McLaren has cited the latest survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which reveals that 93 percent of Australians use fixed-line connections to download content.


“The proportion of mobile handset downloads over mobile networks is estimated to make up just 1.4 percent of total internet downloads in Australia,” he said.


“Other wireless broadband technologies account for just 6.6 percent.”


“Fixed lines remain the engine-room of downloads in this country and around the world. As data-heavy applications such as video become more prevalent there will be an increasing need for robust fixed connections such as the NBN.”


McLaren has argued that enhanced fixed lines such as the NBN are here to ease the limitations of mobile internet.


“The eternal problems associated with spectrum scarcity – such as mobile congestion and a hefty price premium placed on using such a limited resource – are not going to go away,” he added.