Participant Observation Study of Use and Usability on five Assisted Living Facilities for the Old in Gothenburg Sweden

• This participant observation study was conducted November 2009-February 2010 in 14 units in five assistantliving facilities for the old in Gothenburg, Sweden. The aim is to study the daily use and aspects of use, related tothe design of the physical environments. Areas of interest, based upon these aspects and related to usability, arepresented and discussed in this paper. The study is the first part of a case study, within a PhD-project, comprisingparticipant observations and qualitative interviews. More knowledge about assisted living facilities is asked forboth by the eldercare providers and by the construction clients in order to enable appropriate care environmentsfor the oldest. This knowledge is now produced in the architecture academies. The City of Gothenburg andChalmers jointly finance the project and are the primary users of the project results. This paper presents anddiscusses some preliminary findings and gives a short description of methods and the research field.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Övrig annan samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

Keyword

usability

Assisted living for the old

eldercare

care environment

Publication and Content Type

kon (subject category)

ref (subject category)