Ageing is often associated with a decrease in independence, but new technology is helping the elderly cope better with challenges, allowing them to continue living at home safely and comfortably instead of having to go to a care home.
SHINESeniors
SHINESeniors is a project that was started in October 2014. It aims to find out how technology can enable elderly people who live alone to remain in their homes while receiving community care.
It involves motion sensors that tracks the movement of elderlies. For example, in Madam Sitee Marnoor’s, 76, flat, a motion sensor near her main door will send an alert to the call centre Care Line if the door is not opened for more than 24 hours.
The study is led by researchers from the Singapore Management University-Tata Consultancy Services (SMU-TCS) iCity Lab in collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*Star) Institute of High Performance Computing and Eastern Health Alliance. It is expected to end in June.
Associate Professor Tan Hwee Pink, adcademic director of the SMU-TCS iCity Lab, said said a possible improvement to the sensor system would be to personalise the amount of time the door is unopened for the alarm to be activated so that it fits in with each elderly person’s habits.
After more data has been collected from the door sensor trial, the team will use artificial intelligence to learn the “door opening/closing behaviour” of the elderly person and investigate if this is linked to other patterns such as the friendship button activation and call content, he added.
Prof Tan estimates that the cost of a sensor system ranges between $250 and $1,350.
GlydeSafe
It looks like a basic walking frame, but comes with its own set of wheels and a braking system to boot. Called GlydeSafe, the frame has retractable wheels that allow it to be rolled in any direction and an auto-brake system that is activated when a user presses down on it. Regular walking frames require users to lift the device with each step, which is more strenuous on the person’s back.
Ms Serene Tan, 25, developed the frame when she was a student in Temasek Polytechnic in 2011, with the help of a lecturer in her business process and systems engineering course.
“The main function of that motion is to help people learn how to walk again, similar to how parallel bars in the hospital work,” said Ms Tan, who worked with physiotherapists to refine the frame’s design.
Around 500 GlydeSafe frames have been sold here and a further 100 in Belgium. It is available from distributors such as Bion Medical Group, Lifeline, DNR wheels, AlphaMed and Healing Hub at Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital.
It is also being used by various organisations here, such as St. Andrew’s Community Hospital, social enterprise Pro Age, St Hilda’s Community Services and Metta Day Rehabilitation Centre for the Elderly.
GlycoLeap App
The app, which was developed by local healthcare analytics firm Holmusk, lets diabetic users log their blood glucose levels and keep track of their activity and exercise data by syncing fitness trackers or smartphone pedometers.
Providing diabetics with easy access to advice from healthcare professionals and not just self-tracking or automated guidance, is the aim of GlycoLeap, said Dr Yau Teng Yan, Holmusk’s chief medical officer.
The app also helps diabetics improve their diets by assessing their daily meals; one has to simply upload a photo of their meal and a dietitian will rate it. The assessment includes the meal’s nutritional content – the amount of carbohydrates, fat, protein, fibre, salt and other micronutrients – the cooking method such as whether it is highly processed, and portion sizes so the balance of nutrients can be checked.
“Every user on GlycoLeap is paired with a human coach, who reviews the user’s progress and provides him with support, advice and motivation to spur him on,” said Dr Yau.
The app has attracted 1,500 users in Singapore since it was launched in September 2016 on the App Store and on Google Play. A monthly subscription costs $20.
Holmusk plans to introduce a social feature which will let users interact by sharing experiences and supporting one another by the first half of this year, said Dr Yau.
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Source: The Straits Times, 9 January 2018