Goals for Telecare Networks

Abstract

Telecare supports delivery of care to the home. Telecare networks link devices in the home, and provide access to local and remote services. Since telecare systems require a high degree of autonomy, it is desirable to have automated rules that manage their operation. Telecare systems also require flexibility and adaptability, but modifying their technology normally needs expert intervention. The authors and their colleagues have developed policy-based management as a higher-level, user-friendly way of supporting telecare. This work has now been extended to support abstract goals for telecare. These goals manage the distributed networks, devices and services used in telecare. Goals are automatically refined into policies that are executed dynamically. Sample goals and policies are given to illustrate the approach.