The benefits of using smart technology such as voice assistants, smart lighting and monitoring devices have been realised in the carer space – more specifically, using this tech to keep tabs on elderly residents, who may be living alone, isolated or disabled and subsequently more vulnerable to poor mental and physical wellbeing.
Providing “peace of mind”
In July, researchers from the University of Edinburgh spoke to IoT Insider about an IoT-enabled and AI-powered device they’d developed to identify when an elderly person living on their own needed medical intervention – such as suffering a fall and not being able to pick themselves back up or contact someone – by monitoring their patterns of behaviour and sending out an alert to a chosen contact when an individual deviates from these patterns, to check in.
The main message that came out of that conversation was how such a system provides “peace of mind”, not only for close family members and friends, but for the individual, too. For Woking Borough Council, in the UK, a new home installation service using smart technology was launched last month, in recognition of the advantages it brings.
Addressing residents who may have a disability, are elderly and/or suffer from loneliness, the smart home service takes away any potential fears about installing smart home technology by offering an installation service.
Smart voice assistants, video doorbells and lights can all be controlled via voice commands or smartphone apps and are tailored to the unique needs of each resident, according to Woking Borough Council.
One resident, Alex, said: “Since losing my eyesight, and at the same time suffering from neuropathy which affects my hands, I found basic tasks around the house, such as switching on lights or the telly, really difficult and frustrating. So, I can say without doubt that the smart technology has changed my life completely.
“Smart technology can be extremely beneficial for our elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents, and it can make a massive difference in helping with day-to-day routines. We know technology changes rapidly and it can sometimes seem confusing or daunting when it is not used [in] someone’s daily life,” said Councillor Ellen Nicholson, Portfolio Holder for Living Well at Woking Borough council. “That’s why I’m pleased that this new initiative has been launched, helping to keep Woking residents safer and able to remain independent in their home. Woking’s new service should mean nobody is left behind.”
An ageing population
Woking Borough Council is not the first instance of using smart home technology to support elderly individuals. A project developed by Jersey, Impact Jersey, was launched in 0023 targeting Jersey-based businesses to develop and deploy tech solutions aimed at supporting an ageing population and their carers.
The project will award £2 million to businesses who develop these solutions, with criteria requiring the solution to accelerate a preventative and proactive community care model; reduce hospitalisations; enable people to live independently; and improve the lives of older people.
The makeup of the UK paints a picture of an ageing population – where fewer children are being born (and those that are, are to older mothers – in 2021, the average age of a mother was 30.9 in the UK, at 1.55 children per person according to the Office for National Statistics), people are living longer and what this means for the nation is causing concern, as it anticipates greater strain on public services, with fewer young people growing up to fill gaps in industries already reporting labour shortages – the engineering industry included.
This is where technology must step in, to support existing elderly people (estimated to currently make 19% of the population, aged 65 or older, in 2022), and a population that is forecast to get older.
Matthew Margetts, Director of Smarter Technologies, wrote for IoT Insider on the requirement for connected care solutions for senior citizens. “The current ‘pay-as-you-go’ system, wherein the working-age population funds the pensions and healthcare of the elderly, is set to face mounting pressures,” he wrote.
Focusing more specifically on the topic of the role sensors can play in supporting connected care solutions, Margetts highlighted one technology that can have wider-reaching implications. “One of the most significant benefits of connected care solutions is the ability to gather previously unseen data insights that support care provision and in-home monitoring. Through continuous monitoring, caregivers can identify patterns, trends, and anomalies that may indicate changes in an individual’s health or living conditions.”
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