Recommending fall prevention resources for aging in place: Designing a conversational agent with older adults and caregivers

As Canada’s population ages, challenges like the risk of falls can prevent older adults from aging in their homes and increase demand for caregivers, but existing programs and technology for fall prevention are often underutilized because of barriers to access.

This project aims to create a user-friendly system that helps older adults find and use fall prevention resources through a conversational agent (CA) that can provide personalized recommendations based on the needs and preferences of older adults through natural interactions. This system will not only recommend high-quality fall prevention resources but also support the involvement of family members and caregivers in the decision-making process. By closely working with older adults and relevant stakeholders throughout the system design process (from ideation, prototyping, to evaluation), we will build a working prototype of this CA-based recommender system for fall prevention resources that aligns with older adults’ unique values and needs and better supports their aging in place.