Research / SYNTERA Home
Smart Health Home
Why it matters
Most people want to age in their own homes. Passive sensors and AI can support independence and safety, if people and carers trust them.
Key challenges
- Interpreting sensor streams as meaningful health events
- Technology adoption by older adults, carers and clinicians
- Privacy, autonomy and ethical design of monitoring
- Integrating home data into clinical decisions
Our approach
Human-centred design informed by nursing and caregiving needs, linked with IoT sensing, data visualisation for health professionals and stakeholder research.
Publications
Selected publications
Beyond innovation: Reimagining inclusive and ethical technologies for ageing populations
Gough, C.; Dermody, G.; Palmeira, A.
Digital Health 12, 20552076261418907
Electronic assistive technology use in the home (EAT-H) by people with spinal cord injury in Australia
Verdonck, M.; Craven, D.; Kean, B.; Fowler, J.; Merollini, K.; Dermody, G.; Ripat, J.
Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-17
Multi perspective considerations for health smart home: Early phase exploratory study
Dermody, G.; Shibl, R.; Wang, M.; Ward, A.; Watson, J.; North, K.; Blake, J.; …
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 82(1), 849–866
Our Forever Home: A Qualitative Study of Retirement Living Residents and Their Changing Needs, Desires, and Expectations Towards Ageing in Place
Ward, A.; Askew, C. D.; Banks, H.; Craswell, A.; Casey, S.; Dermody, G.; Goold, L.; …
Journal of Applied Gerontology, 07334648261476478
Tech-enabled homes: Integrating mainstream and assistive technology
Verdonck, M.; Ripat, J.; Yaffe, J.; Dermody, G.
World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Congress
Voice-activated documentation technologies in community, home and residential aged care nursing: a scoping review
Shen, S.; Zhai, Y.; Dermody, G.
Team
Who works on this

Dr. Shahrzad Saremi
Founder · Director
School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast
Professor Dr. Rania Shibl
Co-Director · Cofounder
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dana Dermody
Cofounder · Senior Researcher
Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University