It's every adult child's worry - your elderly parent insists on independent living, far away from you and their other relatives. Every day you wake up wondering, did they make it through the night alright? Fortunately there are a number of new high tech devices being developed to help the elderly live alone more safely. The market is being financed in part by the National Institute of Aging, as well as private companies such as Intel.
Although webcams would be an obvious solution, most elders would have no part in the loss of privacy they would entail. Motion detectors are one of the most frequent devices used to promote independent living. By placing detectors at strategic places it is possible to make sure that the elder's normal routine is being observed - that they got out of bed, stopped to take their medicine, and visited the kitchen. Alerts and updates can be programmed to be sent to family members. More sophisticated applications are becoming available that can monitor temperature, blood pressure, breathing, and weight.
Dr. Jeremy Nobel, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, is studying the feasibility of these new devices. He believes that they will become much more common in the next 10 years. Others predict that they will become essential to help accommodate the overwhelming number of baby boomers who will need elder care in the years to come.
Intel is researching even more interesting tech applications for elder care. Some of their ideas include memory bracelets (which send alerts for appointments or medicine), wearable sensors, and carpets with sensors in them. GE Healthcare, Medtronic, and IBM have formed the Continua Health Care Alliance to develop and test high tech devices for seniors. Meanwhile the European Union is aggressively testing such devices to promote independent living. Intel has partnered with Ireland to open the Technology Research for Independent Living Center (Tril), which will invent and test such products. The New York Times reported on "High-Tech Devices" in late May, 2008.
Helpful Links:
www.abledata.com from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. It lists assistive technology products in 19 categories with links to manufacturers and suppliers
Doodads, Thingamigjigs, and Gadgets
Assistive Technology - (from Eldercare Locator) |
