Overview
ISO/TR 25555:2024 - Ageing societies - Accessibility and usability considerations for home healthcare products, related services and environments is a Technical Report that collects design considerations, best practices and field observations to improve the accessibility and usability of products, services and environments used for home healthcare by non‑professional users (caregivers and care recipients). Published in 2024 by ISO/TC 314, this document is a practical reference (not a normative standard) intended to support designers, manufacturers, service providers and policymakers working on solutions for ageing societies.
Key technical topics and guidance
The report organizes practical guidance across product, service and environment domains. Major topics include:
-
General design principles
- Safety and security when professional support is not continuously available
- Cleanliness, disinfection and sterilization practices to reduce infection risk
- Supporting independence and autonomy (self‑use, consent, on‑demand use)
- Broad accessibility for diverse users and contexts
-
Home healthcare product considerations
- Operation: general and specific ergonomic and interaction considerations for non‑professional users
- Information and marking: readability, multiple information modalities (visual, auditory, tactile), clear labelling and instructions
-
Service considerations
- Design of related services to support non‑professional use, including training, maintenance and remote support
-
Environment considerations
- Lighting, sound, thermal and air quality factors for product use in dwellings and non‑clinical settings
- Zoning and layout guidance to limit infection spread and improve usability
-
Supporting material
- Annex A: classification of major home healthcare products and users
- Annex B: examples of home healthcare products and use contexts
Practical applications and who uses this document
ISO/TR 25555:2024 is valuable to:
- Product designers and manufacturers of medical and non‑medical devices intended for home use
- Service providers offering delivery, maintenance, training or telehealth support
- Facility and home‑environment planners designing accessible living spaces for older adults
- Regulators and procurement teams seeking guidance on usability and accessibility expectations
- Care organisations and caregivers looking for best practices to reduce risk and increase independence
Applications include improving device interfaces for older users, designing instruction materials, planning home modifications (lighting, acoustics), and developing training and support services.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014 (accessibility guidance)
- ISO 9241-11:2018 (usability concepts)
- IEC 60601-1-11 (home healthcare environments references)
- ISO/IEEE 11073 family (personal health device communication)
Keywords: ISO/TR 25555:2024, ageing societies, home healthcare, accessibility, usability, home healthcare products, non‑professional users, caregivers, care recipients, design considerations.