Living at home longer

The challenge

Delivering healthcare to an aging population

As we grow older, certain day-to-day activities can become difficult. Within our own homes, the risk of falls and related injuries increases. Our aging population requires improved and cost-effective ways to reduce these risks and manage age-related health issues.

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We're developing a low-cost, non-invasive sensor, monitoring and support system to enable older people to live in their own homes for longer.

We're developing a low-cost, non-invasive sensor, monitoring and support system to enable older people to live in their own homes for longer.

To help older people live in their own homes for longer and reduce the strain to them, their families and the health and aged care systems, there is an opportunity to create smarter and safer homes for the elderly and help improve their quality of life.

Our response

Developing a smart sensor system for safer homes

Through the Australian e-Health Research Centre , we have developed a low-cost, non-invasive sensor, monitoring and support system for use in either individual homes or a supported-living community.

The Smarter Safer Homes system can:

• sense elements including motion, light, temperature, humidity, vibration and power usage throughout the house
• build a picture of a person's daily routine and detect deviations that may indicate illness or injury
• connect with video-conferencing systems, facilitating social connections with family and friends
• collect disease-specific health information such as blood pressure, glucose levels, weight and body temperature using wireless biomedical devices that transmit data to remote servers for examination and follow-up by healthcare providers.

The results

Improving quality of life

The Smarter Safer Homes platform has been installed in more than 150 homes of senior residences across Australia with user feedback helping to continue to tailor the platform and its interface for purpose.

We are continuing to trial Smarter Safer Homes and are seeking new collaborators, with the aim of providing:

• a decision support system for clinicians and healthcare workers that provides alerts and triage for the care of older people living in their own homes
• a communication and support system for families and carers as well as for older residents
• real-world testing of systems in an internet-connected house.

We are also undertaking a number of trials and seeking more partners in order to provide different services to the aged and disability community.