The role of information technology in long term care for older people

The intention of this chapter is to provide some insights into the role of IT in long-term care (LTC). Firstly it will provide an overview of the European context with regard to the use of IT and associated political drivers, and then assess potential benefits of and challenges to current IT solutions for independent living and care. In addition, it will conduct an analysis of key-issues within the INTERLINKS Framework for LTC with respect to those practice examples applying information and communication technology, in order to compare and contrast approaches. The importance of the user perspective (both staff as well as older people and their carers) is key to the success of technology in health care, therefore the role of users in IT applications regarding their design and implementation within LTC will be critically assessed. Finally, the chapter will provide an outlook of the place of IT in future LTC provision.JRC.J.3-Information Societ