IOT and Assisted Living

It is most likely the you have heard the term “internet of things”or IOT in regards to everyday things such as our televisions and phones. That is not however where this new innovation is going to end. There has been a lot of talk about the IOT stepping into the healthcare industry with things like connected healthcare.

Another area where we can expect to see the IOT playing a large role is in assisted living. It is no secret that people are living longer than we ever have before. It has even been said that the first person to see the age 150 has already been born. It should come as no surprise then that nursing homes and senior assisted living facilities are full to bursting with elderly people whom are healthy but incapable or afraid to live on their own. The IOT could help with this.

We are all familiar with products such as Life Alert that have been used to give seniors a sense of security in their own home. These types of things allowed seniors to remain in their homes longer than before. They are not perfect though. The fact is that the technology behind these types of monitoring devices is out dated. It relies on a live person being available 24/7 to respond to the individuals call for help. What happens when the person in question does not have the capability of triggering the monitoring device though? This is where the IOT can step in.

Recently engineers have developed sensors that can be placed discreetly throughout the home. These sensors then monitor the resident’s movements and activities throughout the day. These sensors rely not on a live person monitoring them, but on algorithms and programming that over time learn the normal habits of the person living in the home. They monitor things such as…

• location of the resident within the home
• light sources being used
• bed time and awakening time
• television watching
• cooking
• bathroom usage
• leaving the home and returning
• heating or air conditioning temperature and adjustments

Then in the case of an emergency or variations to that pattern that do not fit the normal activity within the home can notify family members or medical professionals.

Another development is something similar to that of Life Alert but more sophisticated. Wireless vital sign monitors. These devices can notify first responders of medical emergencies such as stroke, heart attack and a loss of consciousness without the person suffering having to do anything at all. Further they could notify patients of an issue well before it actually happens, such as notifying a heart patients doctor that their heartrate has been erratic over a period of time, thus indicating that further investigation may be needed. It is not hard to see that very soon we could see the IOT playing a large role in the lives of our seniors, or anyone that needs some form of assistance.

For more information about IOT and Healthcare please check out our new website www.internetofthingsrecruiting.com