Building a Client-Server Social Network Application for Elders and Safety Net

Social inclusion is one of the major challenges for the elderly living alone. An active social life is connected in many ways to both mental and physical well-being. As the online social networks are getting more common in peoples social lives, there is therefore a growing need for social applications that are designed for the elderly. In this paper we present design and implementation of the AMCOSOP system that enables the elderly to stay connected with their families, friends and safety network even though they are living by themselves. Consisting of a touchscreen user interface and web-based solutions, the AMCOSOP system was used in field trials in two countries for several months.