[Abstract]: One of the challenges facing health and welfare policymakersudas well as researchers in most developed countries is the increasinguddemand for aging services and aged care. Low birth rates and rapidudincreases in the percentages of elderly people make aging and aged careudone of the top-priority issues among the national agenda of many countries.udThe responses of governments have included initiatives to extendudproductiveworking lives and promote self-funded retirement; to promoteudhealthy, active aging; and to encourage more care to be delivered in homeudand community settings. Technology will be a major enabler of theseudstrategies. People requiring health services are increasingly being offeredudmore care in their own homes and community settings as an alternativeudto hospital admission and to delay or avoid moving into institutional care.udResearch is providing intelligent technology to enable care in the homeudas well as to monitor safety, security, and quality. Innovation will provideudgreater independence and better access to care in their own homesudfor the elderly, sufferers of chronic illness, and persons with disabilityudand reduce the incidence of hospital admissions and the length of stayudwhen admissions do occur. Technologies will support families and professionaludcaregivers and are expected to reduce costs. This paper reports onuddevelopments in technology to support care for the aged in home andudcommunity settings.
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