<- Facility Automation Solutions
3.1 General Information
As people age, their health gradually deteriorates, and they begin to require more support from others to manage daily tasks. However, most seniors prefer to live in their own homes or in places that offer independent living as long as possible.
This means that it is beneficial to arrange various types of support for elderly people living at home or in similar environments. Today’s technology provides excellent and continuously improving opportunities for this.
3.2 Support Services for Seniors Living at Home
3.2.1 Fall Monitoring and Assistance
Cameras can be used to monitor the lives and movements of seniors in three ways:
- The person is not recognized (the individual appears as a stick figure to the observer), preserving her/his privacy.
- The person’s features are not recognized (the individual appears as a stick figure to the observer), but her/his name is visible. In this case, every event can be recorded to a local memory card, allowing for the event to be reviewed later with the person appearing as her/his actual self.
- The person is recognized (the individual is visible as her/himself), compromising her/his privacy to some extent.
The people who the monitored individual has authorized as caregivers will receive a fall alert on their phones in all three cases.
The caregiver can establish a voice connection with the fallen person through the system to assess the situation.
If the person is unable to respond or reports being injured, the caregiver can immediately take necessary actions to arrange assistance on-site.
3.2.2 Monitoring Other Abnormal Situations
- If the monitored individual stays in one location for too long, an alert will be sent to the caregiver’s phone, allowing them to respond remotely.
- If the person enters a restricted area (e.g., the main door), an alert will be triggered.
- If the person stays away from the area where they should normally be, an alert will be sent to the caregiver’s phone and/or the automation system.
3.2.3 Normal Communication with Seniors
It is possible to arrange for the senior to easily contact others, and/or for caregivers to contact the senior through a camera.
If the monitored person is unable to speak, she/he can always wave her/his hand toward the camera, which will trigger an alert on the caregiver’s phone. If desired, the people whom the senior can contact can be defined, as well as those who can contact the senior.
3.3 Support Services for Seniors Living in Assisted Living Apartments
The same opportunities to use modern technology, as described in ”Support Services for Seniors Living at Home,” also apply to people living in this type of environment.
In this case, the responsibility for acquiring the technology falls on the community providing assisted living services, which can also improve their own operations at the same time.
Example
Pekka’s Safer and More Independent Life
Pekka had reached an older age but still wanted to live independently in his own home. Our smart care technology package provided both Pekka and his loved ones with peace of mind, as they knew that the continuous monitoring by the system would enable rapid assistance if something happened to Pekka.
The system detected falls and changes in daily routines, sending immediate alerts to his caregivers, who could contact Pekka and check the situation. Alerts were also received if Pekka stayed in one place for too long or entered a restricted area.
Additionally, he could easily request help with a simple wave of his hand, ensuring that assistance was always available when needed.
When Pekka later moved into a care facility, his family and caregivers were still able to monitor his well-being remotely. The system continued to detect falls and abnormalities in his normal activities, sending real-time alerts and ensuring smooth communication to guarantee his safety and comfort.
This smart solution provided Pekka with the independence he desired and peace of mind for his loved ones.