Current Challenges and Future Outlook for Extended Reality as Cutting-Edge Assistive Technology Shaping Caring Personnel

In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated that more than 1 billion of people in the world needed assistive technologies (AT). Among them 970 million needed low vision aids, 35 million prostheses, 75 million wheel-chairs, 94 million hearing aids, 150 million mobility aids and 150 million cognitive aids. Based on a EUROSTAT data from 2020, in Europe around 3.7 million practicing caring personnel were registered. Several research suggests that new AT are needed and that Extended-Reality may be an adequate option in a contexts where smart homes are within everyone’s reach. In this study a proof of concept on the possibility of use Extended-Reality as an AT for daily-life activities is presented. Several and personalized MR strategies are proposed aiming at improving the lives of elderly people or young people with learning and cognitive difficulties. The aim is to reduce discrimination and inequalities supporting persons with disabilities to fully enjoy their rights and freedoms on an equal basis with others. In this proposal, the figures of the caring personnel and caregiver are taken into considerations, providing integration to the traditional social-care methods. The need for prepared and trained personnel to adequately and autonomously manage the new AT is evident as well as the introduction of the social-care professionals with the role of intermediary between the caregiver and caring personnel, who takes care of the patient on a daily basis, and the doctor, with the aim of providing support in the use of AT actively according to medical indications.