Cultural Dimensions Affecting Perception of Privacy and Intrusiveness of Video Monitoring Technologies for Aging at Home

Irina Kondratova

Abstract: This paper reports on research results for the project by NRC under the Aging in Place Program, working on design guidelines and prototypes for safe and usable technologies for remote mobility assessment, including video technologies. We analyzed how cultural factors affect perception of privacy and intrusiveness of video technologies for aging at home, and cultural dimensions affecting privacy perceptions by conducting a literature review, with more than 30 research papers reviewed via the scoping literature review. Results demonstrate that whilst video technology is useful for monitoring older adults’ activity, assess mobility and capture and report emergency events, technology design and development needs focus on preserving privacy and minimizing intrusiveness. Adoption of video technologies strongly depends on cultural preferences by older adults and family caregivers. The paper concludes with recommendations for future work on guidelines for culture and privacy incorporated into the design of video surveillance technologies to improve technology adoption.