The Role of IoT in the Elderly Care Industry

The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted the world as we know it and has particularly effected the elderly generation.

Technology is king, and the healthcare industry will inevitably adopt new technology to improve efficiency, quality, and standard of care going forward. Healthcare leaders are beginning to regroup and strategize to ensure that lessons are learned, and we are better prepared to deal with issues from now on - it is clear to see how IoT would play a key role in the future of this industry.

It is predicted that IoT devices in healthcare industries will reach $71 billion by the year 2021. The Internet of things has changed the entire scenario through which the healthcare industry was working. Patients these days use IoT devices to monitor their health on the go. Moreover, doctors use IoT enabled gadgets to help them keep track of their machines and patients to handle every kind of emergency with ease (Prismetric 2019).

The proportion of the UK population aged 75+ who have used the internet in the last 3 months has more than doubled from 20% in 2011 (Age UK 2019) to 44% in 2018 (ONS 2018). IoT in homes is rapidly increasing; in 2017, smart home revenue was US$ 2,727m and is projected to be US$ 7,498m in 2024 (Statista 2019). In 2019 the age group 55-64 made up an 11.7% share of the UK's smart home market (Statista 2019). 6.5 million households in England are headed by someone aged 65 and over, equating to around one-third of all households (Age UK 2019:05). Increasing use of the internet by the current elderly and near full use of the future elderly (45-54-year-olds) allows homes to seamlessly transition to “smart homes” (Statista 2019).

The elderly landscape is changing and posing opportunities for greater human engagement, decision making, health monitoring, personalisation, data security and analytics. Hospitals and care homes of the future will adopt IoT technology for all of these reasons; everything will be connected and centrally managed – delivering an elite experience for residents and patients. In addition, the ‘future elderly’ will be accustomed to this technology and have a better understanding of how it works.

IoT such as Radio Frequency Identification, wearable electronics, Wireless Sensor Networks, and Artificial Intelligence will all play a role.

A research project developed in line with framework HABITAT (Home Assistance Based on the Internet of Things for the Autonomy of Everybody) is aiming towards developing smart devices to support older adults both in their own houses and in retirement homes, embedding them in everyday life objects, thus reducing the expenses for healthcare due to the lower need for personal assistance, and providing a better life quality to the elderly users (Borelli E, Paolini G, Antoniazzi F, et al. 2019).

HABITAT connects a variety of devices, appliances, and computers and embedding smart sensors into furniture and other homeware, creating a smart home with integrated e-health and assisted living technology. Still relatively early in the development stages, HABITAT has further tests to complete in order to understand the long term benefits of such a platform, but it is clear to see how this IoT application could play a crucial role in overturning the healthcare system for the elderly.

Like the HABITAT project, Digital Health magazine discusses the benefit of continually monitoring patient conditions and symptoms. One of the challenges physicians face is keeping patients aware of their conditions and cultivating healthy habits that keep them in check. However, a range of wearable and household devices such as a smartwatch could help patients manage their diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions, because they can assist patients in monitoring their vitals on a regular basis, encouraging them to take greater ownership of their health. However, the real power of connected medical devices is the ability to extract meaningful insights that lead to quicker and clearer diagnoses (Digital Health, 2019).

Another technology is TIHM (Technology Integrated Health Management) is aimed at helping people with dementia remain in their homes longer. Smart devices installed around a person's home can be used to monitor their health and wellbeing to check if they're still doing well and alert health professionals to step in when needed (Best 2018).

Koynov states that tracking is another big help for seniors and can take a lot of the stress out of being out and about. A GPS tracker can be a lifesaver for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and those on medication with disorienting side effects. Light and wearable help an older adult maintain their independence whilst giving family members and caregivers peace of mind (Koynov 2019).

In addition to IoT technology helping to keep elderly people healthier for longer and enabling them to stay in their own homes for longer, the NHS is making strides to improve efficiency and therefore reduce costs when elderly, and other patients are admitted to hospital.

NHS Scotland began an IoT pilot project at Caithness General Hospital, part of the NHS Highlands trust, in 2018. They started using IoT-enabled hospital beds. The beds are equipped with Bluetooth sensors, enabling them to relay information about their location and maintenance record. It's hoped the six-month trial will save NHS staff time on tracking down individual beds and calling up their maintenance data (Best 2018).

Building on this concept, other hospitals have begun implementing “smart beds” to detect when they are occupied, when a patient is attempting to get up, sending this information over the network/internet to nurses. The beds can also self-adjust to ensure that appropriate pressure and support are applied to the patient without being manually adjusted by the nurses (Borelli E, Paolini G, Antoniazzi F, et al. 2019).

IoT in care homes is also beginning to gain traction. Researchers from the Sinclair School of Nursing and the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri found that sensors that measure in-home gait speed and stride length can predict likely falls. Researchers used data collected from sensor systems at TigerPlace, an innovative ageing-in-place retirement residence located in Columbia, Mo. The system generated images and an alert email for nurses indicating when irregular motion was detected. This information could help nurses assess functional decline, provide treatment, and prevent falls (Srikanth RP 2018).

Falls are recorded as a contributing factor in 40% of care home admissions, and falls can have serious consequences resulting in broken bones, head injuries, hospitalizations or even death. Therefore, it is essential that IoT helps to prevent this (Care Inspectorate 2016).

Heanor Park care home uses IoT to control the lighting intensity, colour and direction in individuals’ rooms, communal spaces, and bathrooms. Lighting intensity can increase to suit specific needs, e.g. if a resident has a certain eyesight condition and requires brighter illumination, allowing them to see more clearly and minimise falls.

The software integrates with each light replicating the natural lighting cycle, which entrains care home residents circadian rhythms. Many care home residents are not exposed to natural light for long throughout the day. Therefore, it can become very easy for a circadian rhythm to get out of sync; this means that residents might not feel tired at bedtime or ready to get up in the morning; they may be falling asleep in their chair, not wanting to engage with activities, not feeling hungry at mealtimes etc., the long term effects of having a circadian rhythm that is out of sync can lead to a whole host of mental and physical health conditions including sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. However, the Circadian Plus solution aims to fix this; the cost-saving to the NHS if these disorders can be avoided huge. The results so far have shown a dramatic decrease in the number of falls around the home, higher levels of engagement and staff have found residents easier to manage.

Ancliffe Bungalow is another great example of how the IoT enables assisted living to be more responsive and data-driven. From Amazon Alexa opening the blinds and turning off the lights, to nightlights in the toilet, to glasses that act as eyes for those with a severe visual impairment. The technology is discreet enough to maintain personal space and privacy whilst ensuring that the right information gets to the right people. This means care-receivers can live more independently while also receiving better support (Rome N/A).

In summary, IoT is helping people live healthier and longer lives, easing the strain on the healthcare system. In addition, it is helping people maintain their independence for longer, giving them a helping hand with day to day tasks and monitoring them in a way that is not invasive but allows them to be safe. Meanwhile, in hospitals, IoT is helping to improve efficiency, provide greater levels of care and ultimately save costs. In care homes, IoT helps reduce the percentage of falls and improve the overall quality of the resident’s lives. However, we are only beginning to scratch the surface of IoT's possibilities to healthcare. The industry's future is exciting, and although there are still many hurdles to overcome, the opportunities are greater.

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