Smart Adaptation tools for Buildings (Adapt-ABLE): A System for Streamlining Housing Adaptation Process for Aged and Disabled

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Significant proportion of the UK's ageing&disabled population desire to stay-put in their own-house, thereby enhancing community-engagement, self-esteem, privacy and high-level of activity(Zhou,Oyegoke&Sun, 2018). To enable this, and associated cost-benefits compared to living-in-care, the government have the statutory responsibility to provide financial-assistance for housing-adaptation. However, the process is currently cumbersome-(and delay-prone), including referral, allocation, assessment, funding?stallation, all of which involve various-stakeholders with less streamlined-process. The time to complete the process ranges significantly with some taking up-to-1460 days(Jones,2017), implying that some of the applicants would have died or temporarily-moved into care.Whilst there has been some improvement in the last decade, there is currently no integrated?eractive platform for facilitating speedy/self-assessment&adaptation. The proposed study adopts techniques in Machine-Learning(ML), advanced-optimisation, Decision-Support-System(DSS)&cloud-computing to create an innovative tool (Adapt-ABLE) that streamlines the whole-process from self/home-assessment through installation to performance-management. It consists of five-elements:1. Home Assessment/Analytics platformThe platform allows users to evaluate easiness of living in their home for aged and people living with various forms of disability. The platform will provide age and disability-friendliness matrix, and suggest the changes required to support people as they age.2. Adapt-ABLE Platform for Indicative AssessmentAn accessible online-platform that allows self or third-party referral. It is a one-stop shop with an indicative self-assessment of need-requirements that consider/determine eligibility-threshold, level of adaptation, case risk-band, automated means-test, with an instant display of indicative-assessment results. The system will also link unqualified-applicant to where further helps could be sought.3. Adapt-ABLE procurement and Tendering HermeneuticsThis platform automates needs requirement to specification from the database. It enables applicants or their representatives to upload supporting documents, select pictorial description and contribute to contractors' selection. It facilitates e-tendering by contractor, whose information will be held/updated on the platform. The platform will standardise price-scheduling, procurement and payment issues will be standardised.4. Adapted Home Register with User Matching FunctionalitiesAn online platform that facilitates documentation and accurate capturing of adapted home information. It would also facilitate automated matching of disabled/aged applicants in need of adapted home with suitable property using banding and suitability index.5. Smart Performance-Management and Analytics PlatformInteractive platform during installation stage - site supervision and liaison. It includes monitoring and tracking system, multi-mode feedback platform, platform dealing with complaints and portal for knowledge-base integration for monitoring of each process and overall adaptation over time. It will also enable local authority to benchmark their performance.