The Problem
Television remotes typically have between 30 and 50 small buttons. Setting a television with these remotes is impossible
to do for many elderly people. Television programming schedules are often difficult to read or comprehend by many
elderly individuals even if they have the mental and physical capability to select channels with a TV remote.
There are some very simple TV remotes that are marketed to support the geriatric population but many elderly people even
have difficulty using these and they lack the programmability required to set up a pre-determined program schedule
throughout the day or the week.
Many people in nursing homes spend much of their day watching television yet they have a difficult time selecting
television programming that meets their interests. There are currently over 32 million people in the US alone over the age
of 65 and 1.3 million in nursing homes. Both numbers will increase dramatically over the next decade. Many of these
elderly individuals struggle with controlling TV programming.
Objective
A simple method of providing pre-determined television scheduling throughout the day would be very useful to many
people in nursing homes and many other technically handicapped elderly individuals. On a weekly basis, with the help of
care-givers or family members, the elderly could select which programs and stations they want to watch each day and then
the television would provide that programming throughout the week with no intervention by care-givers or family members.
This programming could take place locally with a direct interface with a caregiver or remotely over the WEB. A previous senior design team developed a tablet-based interface that can control the television and that can download television schedules. This project will extend this work and focus on developing a practical WEB interface and refining the overall approach to demonstrate potential in actual skilled-care settings
Television remotes typically have between 30 and 50 small buttons. Setting a television with these remotes is impossible
to do for many elderly people. Television programming schedules are often difficult to read or comprehend by many
elderly individuals even if they have the mental and physical capability to select channels with a TV remote.
There are some very simple TV remotes that are marketed to support the geriatric population but many elderly people even
have difficulty using these and they lack the programmability required to set up a pre-determined program schedule
throughout the day or the week.
Many people in nursing homes spend much of their day watching television yet they have a difficult time selecting
television programming that meets their interests. There are currently over 32 million people in the US alone over the age
of 65 and 1.3 million in nursing homes. Both numbers will increase dramatically over the next decade. Many of these
elderly individuals struggle with controlling TV programming.
Objective
A simple method of providing pre-determined television scheduling throughout the day would be very useful to many
people in nursing homes and many other technically handicapped elderly individuals. On a weekly basis, with the help of
care-givers or family members, the elderly could select which programs and stations they want to watch each day and then
the television would provide that programming throughout the week with no intervention by care-givers or family members.
This programming could take place locally with a direct interface with a caregiver or remotely over the WEB. A previous senior design team developed a tablet-based interface that can control the television and that can download television schedules. This project will extend this work and focus on developing a practical WEB interface and refining the overall approach to demonstrate potential in actual skilled-care settings