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This chapter provides a brief overview of the demographic evolution and aging process, introducing a collaborative framework to assist senior citizens. The importance of supporting the age-related care needs, and the potential technologies for aging support are highlighted. A conceptual model for an elderly care ecosystem (ECE) and methods for care service personalization and evolution based on a collaborative environment are presented. To facilitate the consideration of human factors in the early design stage of ECE, a care need goals taxonomy and human-centered design principles are introduced. Customer, service, and service provider template profiles to design the elderly care ecosystem are proposed. Experimental results and feedback from lead users are presented and discussed. The goal of the ECE framework is to provide assistance in service recommendation (and adaptation) for the elderly care domain taking into account human factors.

As noticed in diverse areas, service providers realize that the provision of collaborative, integrated, and user-centric services can garner a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, in the case of the elderly care domain, services are typically isolated, sometimes provided by a single provider. Moreover, personalized services are easier to aim than to implement considering senior's habit and needs. In this context, the concept of Elderly Care Ecosystem introduces a computer-supported collaborative environment that supports the combination of services potentially involving multiple providers to seek a better fit with senior care needs. As main contributions, this work includes the identification and characterization of the core elements of an ecosystem to deliver services for elderly care in a collaborative environment.

Continuous advances in medicine and wellness areas have contributed to an active and enjoyable aging. The use of technology in assisting elderly community is expected to have a positive contribution to support the diversity of required services that promote independent living. Most initiatives in this area are intrinsically focused on providing health-care services to senior citizens. However, a broader perspective of the aging process is required, which is conceptually described as ”active aging”. In this paper, we present some prominent technologies based on context-awareness and Internet of Things that may assist elderly people in different needs during a productive live. We exemplify the applicability of such technologies by describing a scenario in which daily activities are performed by an elderly assisted by her son.