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

Paper in proceeding, 2010

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