Real-world large-scale IoT systems for community eldercare: A comparative study on system dependability

The paradigm of aging-in-place - where the elderly live and age in their own homes, independently and safely, with care provided by the community - is compelling, especially in societies that face both shortages in institutionalized eldercare resources, and rapidly-aging populations. Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, particularly in-home monitoring solutions, are commercially available, and can be a fundamental enabler of smart community eldercare, if they are dependable. In this paper, we present our findings on system performance of solutions from two vendors, which we have deployed at scale for technology-enabled community care. In particular, we highlight the importance of quantifying actual system performance, which may differ from perceived performance.