Frail seniors embrace home monitoring

When John Fowlkes’s adult daughter suggested installing an electronic monitoring system in his apartment to oversee his well-being from afar, “I was very skeptical,” he says. To Fowlkes, 86, who has an active social life including an 80-year-old girlfriend, the idea evoked thoughts of Big Brother.

Mindful that a younger friend had fallen at home and lain on the floor for hours before anyone came to help, Fowlkes, of Raleigh, N.C., gave in. To his surprise, he found the setup “makes you feel more secure.”
Overseeing the aged from afar is a hot issue for working caregivers, and the technology needed to do so is available. But policy makers and others have long fretted that seniors would resist electronic monitoring as an invasion of privacy.

Now, Big Brother has arrived — and seniors are rolling out the welcome mat. As vendors make in-home monitoring systems widely available, seniors are mounting little resistance, and many are embracing the gadgetry as an aid to remaining independent.

Home-monitoring customers total a few thousand nationwide, according to half a dozen monitoring companies I surveyed. The most common systems use wireless motion or contact sensors on doorways, windows, walls, ceilings, cabinets, refrigerators, appliances or beds to track seniors’ movements. Temperature sensors gauge heat and air conditioning. If an elderly person enters the bathroom and doesn’t come out, or other typical activity patterns aren’t recorded in the home, word can be sent to family members, 24-hour response workers or both. The systems also offer hand-held or wearable “panic buttons.”

The QuietCare system used by Fowlkes is monitored by response workers. His daughter, Alisa Washington, who lives nearby, receives e-mail updates several times a day at work. She says it gives her “much greater peace of mind.”

Seniors draw the line at some kinds of surveillance. Many protest against the presence of video cameras, says DR. Majd Alwan, who conducted several small studies of monitoring systems as a professor at the University of Virginia. They see motion and contact sensors as less invasive, says Alwan, now director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies, Washington, D.C., a nonprofit research group.

See CantonRep.com

New Interactive Television To Assist Patients And Elderly

In this day and age, who wants their elderly parents [actually] living with them, when they could just turn on the TV and check on them in between commercials? Plus, if there's a problem you can just call your doctor and have him watch them on TV as well.

Telecommunications engineer at the Public University of Navarre, Alejandro Fanjul Fernández, has designed a pioneering system of telemedicine for interactive digital television. This system enables the monitoring and treatment of and support for both patients and elderly people, from the comfort and convenience of their homes, by means of the television. This is the first tele-assistance system in Spain for interactive digital television and a number of companies and government bodies have expressed interest in marketing the application...

This designed tele-assistance system, known as ATS-Interactiva, focuses its services on the monitoring and treatment of and support for patients by means of television. To this end, every so often, a series of check-ups and medication reminders are carried out, which at the same time enable a channel of communication to be opened up between the health care professional and the patient...

Through a complex system of data treatment and interactivity with the patient, the ATS-Interactiva system enables doctors to have a complete system of monitoring of patients at hand at all times, enabling them to assess patients' progress through the observation of their vital signs: weight, pulse, blood pressure, glucose level and so on.

This application may be of great utility for undertaking the monitoring of patients who are convalescing in a post-operative recovery stage but who can carry out their basic functions in an independent manner. It is also of great interest to those elderly persons who require a minimum of control and monitoring of their state of health on a daily basis. The progress of these persons may be followed without them having to be transferred to a health clinic or hospital - the monitoring being undertaken simply from their sitting-room sofa using the TV remote control.
Moreover, for the over 60s who watch more than 4 1/2 hours of TV daily, the system has an application known as an "interactive dosifier" that provides a personalised reminder for the administration of medicines. In this way, when the patient is due to take medication, the system emits a sound signal and a nurse appears on the TV screen to remind the patient of what has to be taken and a complete description or written recommendation from the doctor on how it should be taken.

The system also enables communication between the patient and the doctor through interactive messages or by electronic mail, again using the TV set. Today the possibility of communicating with the doctor has become vital in the treatment of any kind of ailment. This creates genuine patient-health care professional trust when dealing with a possible health problem.

The application of tele-assistance, moreover, does not interfere with television viewing, as the screen can be minimised or left in the background of the TV screen in such a way that, while the system is operating, TV programmes continue to be seen, the system information appearing in the foreground only when the patient has to be reminded or she or he requests information.
The ATS-Interactiva identifies the patient by means of an intelligent card, in such a way that he or she may locate to a different town and the monitoring can continue, as long as the intelligent card is carried on their person and connected to a receptor where the ATS-Interactiva application is available. In principle the emission of the system over a specific TV channel is being considered
More at ScienceDaily. . .

Source: Medgadget

Forget the nursing home, talk to the television

My Dad was laughing the other week at one of those naff car stickers that read: Be nice to your children, they choose your nursing home.

As he chortled I pointed out that he'd really better heed this message with as much gravitas as his advancing years could muster.

But if a UK technology start-up gets its way, the nursing home could become an increasingly rare phenomenon.

Care homes could be replaced with a broadband-based platform that its makers claim will enable the elderly and the sick to stay in their homes much longer than is currently possible.
Mediagrids has developed a platform that uses broadband, 3G and eventually WiMax, to provide telecare services.

It says its technology goes far beyond the realms of panic buttons and voice-only call centres and will include intelligent monitoring of people in their home to provide preventative care.
People needing care or medical attention will be able to have their homes connected to the system that will monitor their health and check they are not in trouble using digital cameras and interactive communication technology.

So in theory, an elderly person could fall over and the care workers manning the system would know immediately because they could see into the home and talk to the person to assess how much help they need.

It will also apparently be able to remind people to take medication, provide virtual links to medical staff, and allow users and their friends and family to have interactive video chats through their television sets. While the company has yet to sign-up any UK customers, it has appointed a reseller that is piloting the technology with two unnamed NHS trusts.

The idea sounds great in practice but is dependent on healthcare organisations, and individuals, having the requisite broadband connections, and perhaps more importantly being willing to trust such advanced methods of care. As the nation increasingly rebels against 'Big Brother' culture, there are bound to be questions about the invasive nature of the technology. And then there is the challenge of getting elderly people who have never used a computer to accept that they are being looked after by a camera on the bookshelf.

It could take some convincing.

Source: Fromthenewdesk

New technology tested to help European retirees

A new project, part funded by the EU, could allow more people who have retired abroad to stay in their new homes rather than having to go into residential care.

Tunstall, a company which specialises in telecare and telehealth solutions, has been chosen to head up the new Service Orientated Programmable Smart Environments for Older Europeans (SOPRANO) project.

The €12 million project hopes to find technological solutions to the problems which will be faced by people as they get older.

Running for the next three and a half years, and featuring 20 partners from six European countries, the project will seek to "develop affordable, smart IT-based assisted living services aimed at promoting independence for older people".

"Against a background of accelerating demographic ageing across Europe, the latest telecare and telehealth solutions will play a pivotal role in helping to relieve some of the growing pressure on healthcare providers," said Mike Hodges, research and development director at Tunstall.

"The low-level, round-the-clock care provided by telecare technology offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional care, while also ensuring users get the support they need in the familiarity of their home environment."

Telecare projects have previously been trailed successfully for patients suffering from dementia, but this is one of the largest European projects to test the viability of installing devices in the homes of older European citizens.

From Retire from the Sun

The Intelligent Apartment

Intelligent assisted living systems are the focus of the presentation of Fraunhofer IESE at this year's CeBIT in Hanover. A miniature version of the institute's own Assisted Living Laboratory will give visitors interesting insights into state-of-the-art research in this highly practice-relevant area. The goal is to enable elderly persons or those requiring care to remain longer in their own homes, living a self-determined life with the support of ultra-modern information technology. Fraunhofer IESE can be found in building 9 at booth B36 (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) and at the booth of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF, B40.

It happens when you least expect it: A sudden circulatory weakness makes an elderly person dizzy and results in a fall. But the intelligent apartment becomes active immediately: In a realistic simulation across two fair booths, visitors can experience how the senior citizen's walking aid recognizes the accident, how the home automation system attempts on its own to communicate with the patient, and how it finally alerts the "Emergency Medical Dispatch Office". Medical experts estimate that, in the regional environment of IESE, this technique could already be used every day to save accident victims from suffering the more serious consequences of an accident.

The Assisted Living Lab, which is being introduced at the booths of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and BMBF, is indeed a very special kind of laboratory environment. What appears to be hardly different from a normal living environment is equipped throughout with sophisticated sensors and electronic data processing. The objective of this effort: An apartment that proactively reacts in case of emergencies and that offers its resident the correct help at precisely the correct time, depending on the situation.

Equipment that captures data, such as RFID chips in the floor covering, motion sensors in the rooms, or everyday-type items equipped with sensors, are only parts of a much more complex overall system. The real core of the system is the software-supported networking and interpretation of the data provided by the sensors in accordance with current medical knowledge. Only this combination makes practical, context-sensitive support from the home automation system realistic.

The research performed at Fraunhofer IESE in the area of assisted living systems concentrates on the systems engineering of environments that independently recognize and assess situations on their own, based on networked sensor data. In a very general sense, this means that people are relieved of routine tasks and thus have more time for creativity. Furthermore, dangers can be averted. This should lead to cost savings not only in the health sector. Elderly persons and those requiring care will benefit from this in a particular way through better care" an obligation for society, whose importance should increase due to the demographic changes in society.

From Medical News Today

Motion sensors, virtual dinner companions and a talking pill could help baby boomers age more independently.

Today, motion sensors can monitor the comings and goings of elderly Americans so they can live safely and independently in their own homes.
One day soon, a cellular telephone will detect any new quaver in the voice, and a cuff link will notice any worrisome change of gait.

Eventually a talking computer screen will tell the elderly whether they should take an aspirin for a headache -- considering their 12 or 16 or 20 other medications.

Yesterday's science fiction is tomorrow's assisted living, say prognosticators now watching 77 million baby boomers grow old.

The boomers' wish to age independently has businesses jumping in with a host of new products and services. The businesses include giants such as Intel and Pfizer as well as Minnesota enterprises such as Shoreview-based Ecumen, a nonprofit with senior housing centers in 80 communities, and HealthSense in Mendota Heights, which sells a monitoring system it calls eNeighbor.

And for good reason: One projection has the digital home-health market growing 36 percent a year, to $2.1 billion in 2010. And the United States is behind Europe and Japan when it comes to developing such technologies.

To help new technology reach Minnesota seniors, Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, plans to introduce a bill Monday with tax credits of up to $1,000 for assistive technologies -- everything from telephone amplifiers to devices yet to be imagined -- that help them stay in their homes.

Read the entire article in the StarTribube.com

Top 10 'must have' home technology trends

According to Dow Jones 'Market Watch'

The most technologically savvy homeowners bask in crystal-clear television screens when they're home and can control the lights while they're out of town. Without moving an inch, they can decide what music is playing in each room and can monitor the well being of their aging mother in a different city.

Making the list:

A home theater or media room. A home theater is a room dedicated solely to the viewing of movies and programs, designed with aspects such as sound quality in mind. A media room is incorporated in a home's living space and is more of a multipurpose room, where a homeowner can watch television, read a book or play a game. Home theaters can run anywhere from $15,000 to $150,000 and more depending on the components; one package displayed at the show from Lifeware included a media center, audio-video receiver, 200-disc DVD changer, 50-inch plasma television, six speakers, automated lighting control, remote and software for $31,000.

Home health-care products and installation. As the population ages, there's more demand for health-care products that take advantage of advances in technology. Patient-monitoring systems can allow a caregiver to check up on an elderly loved one from afar. Biometric monitoring devices can keep constant watch on a patient's vital signs.

Media Center Edition (MCE) computers. This audio/visual computer can help manage a home's various media sources, providing such features as surround-sound processing, as well as access to Internet radio and the one-touch recording of TV shows. A top-of-the-line Dell media center system fetches at least $5,500. Hewlett-Packard's HP z565 Digital Media Center starts at $3,000.

Microdisplay-based televisions. High-definition televisions are hot, including LCD (liquid crystal displays), DLP (digital light projection), LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) or LCD-based rear-projection TVs. Depending on size and type, prices for these products run the gamut.

Lighting and automation. Homes can be set up with the ability to control lighting and other features throughout the house from any room -- and any part of the world. Systems can also create lighting schemes and automation that might, for example, turn the lights down and close the curtains when a DVD is started, Hoshaw said. Honeywell and Home Director are two companies that offer such systems. Lifeware's deluxe system, which includes audio, lighting, HVAC and security controls in addition to its media capabilities, is priced at $54,000.

Security systems. New systems can protect a home while the owner is away by taking a snapshot of light usage in the house over the past two weeks, then mimicking the series while the owner is out of town.

Media servers. Homeowners are increasingly loading all of their media, including music and movie files, on one server, making files accessible in a central location. Hewlett-Packard has developed its HP MediaSmart Server, with the capability to handle 10 accounts on your home network, although the product is not yet for sale.

The iPod revolution. Many people have the popular music player from Apple -- or a competing mp3 player -- but increasingly homes are adding docking systems that allow more flexibility in using the device's media libraries. The Keyspan AV Dock for iPod, for example, will connect the device to a computer, stereo or TV and retails for $64.99 on Amazon.com.

Smart sound systems. Multiroom, multisource sound systems allow a homeowner to control the sound piping through rooms. Often with a touch of a key pad, a homeowner can control what's playing in each zone, independent of the rest of the house. Bose installed such whole-house systems in two of the showcase houses built specifically for the builders show.

Gaming rooms. They're not just your run-of-the-mill ping-pong table in the basement anymore. Video-game spaces have become increasingly common in a home, and are often set up around more traditional games, such as a billiard

'Intelligent' homes designed to help the elderly

Scientists in Toronto say they have are developing artificially intelligent computer systems to help elderly people suffering from memory loss stay safely in their own homes.

"Often when a person gets moderate to severe levels of impairment, they are taken out of their home and put into a care facility," says lead scientist Dr. Alex Mihailidis, a mechanical and biomedical engineer and researcher at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.

"We are using artificial intelligence to support aging-in-place so that people can remain in their homes for as long as possible."

Mihailidis and his research team at the Intelligent Assistive Technology and Systems Lab, a joint venture of Toronto Rehab and the University, say they are the first in the world to test home-based artificial intelligence systems in clinical trials.

More than 750,000 Canadians will have Alzheimer's or a related dementia by the year 2031, the researchers say.

The systems are designed to enhance the safety of such people living at home, the researchers say.

One of their creations is a "talking" bathroom outfitted with a computer screen that provides video and verbal cues to assist with hand washing.

Clifford Solway sometimes needs some prompting for certain tasks. "I have a tendency to forget things," he admits.

However, in the intelligent home, a computer voice would prompt him.

Read the entire article in CTV.ca