ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates how new and emerging care technologies (NCT) act to circumvent 'the door', opening up new ways of entering the home through sensors, webcam and telecare technologies. The telecare systems refers to technology designed to improve existing home-care services, whilst the latter encapsulates technologies aimed at facilitating non-obtrusive risk management and monitoring within domestic space. Tinker et al. further distinguish between what they refer to as portable assistive technologies and fixed assistive technologies that may require housing adaptation. The growth of these technologies is likely to be enhanced by people's increasing familiarity with wireless networks and mobile phones facilitating the creation of a consumer platform for them. Surveillance technologies in the home hold the potential to substantially alter family relationships. The hearing loss that often accompanies the ageing process can not only create difficulties for some in responding to auditory-based technologies but frustration at some call-centre care workers' lack of understanding of how to deal with this issue.
