Nursing Homes Go High-Tech

mattlary writes "Here's an interesting article about a tracking system being installed in a retirement community. The system can track where residents are anywhere in the campus, and also uses cameras to keep an eye on residents. The community also contains numerous sensors so staff can track residents' activity."

Re:Obligatory Simpsons quote

[PeterPumpkin]

Well, the older people you and I see on a regular basis are the sharp ones that can still live like normal.

However there are those like the Alzheimer's patients who are given some element of freedom, and when they wander off don't remember where they came from or don't know they are lost and keep wandering. Ever try to find someone who doesn't know where they are going or that they are lost? It is more difficult than you might think.

Cares..

[12357bd]

I remember maybe 10 years ago a bed manufacturer who used a grid of pressure sensors, and a neural network to sense people presence, position and activity.
The idea was simple and seemed good, but I've never see-it in the real world.

Anyway, technological aids are only that, aids, never a people replacement.

Alzheimers really sucks.

[billstewart]

My mother used to live in a retirement home, because she can't see well enough to drive. The section she was in was basically an apartment building with a cafeteria and weekly maid service. She decided to move back into an apartment, mainly for cost reasons, and spend part of the difference on more taxis. One thing that was universal, whether you needed it or not, was that you had to check in daily so they knew you were okay and not lying on the floor with a broken hip, which happens a lot to old people.

My mother-in-law is living in a retirement home. She's not very mobile, and needs people to help with a few things, and living in her apartment got too hard and too dangerous, because the "I've fallen and I can't get up" problem is really serious if you can't get up (she can't), plus it's hard to find cooks who'll stay around for more than a few months (that seems to be a very temporary job for most people who do it.) And she doesn't want to move up to the frozen north to live with us.

The last place she lived had an Alzheimers wing. We didn't see those people very often, but they do wander off and get lost, and some are in worse shape than others. My grandfather spent about four years seriously senile in a nursing home, and needed a lot of reminding and help to do things; my grandmother was in the same room, clearheaded to the end but in bad physical shape. They didn't really like the place, but that had a lot to do with institutional cooking and inattentive nursing staff, and the other place they'd tried wasn't much better.

Nursing Home Tech

[SteakandcheeseUm]

This is not a new idea. I work at a nursing home in West Virginia (of all states) and we have been using a similar system (secureCare) for several years now. Generally, you attach an RFID to each confused resident and put these sensors on the doors. If the resident tries to push the door open, an alarm goes off in the nursing station. Everyone in managment is immediately paged with an alphanumeric message telling the resident name and the Exit taken. (this method is much cheaper than the aforementioned tracking system)
Another new technology that is also being implimented are resident databases with touchpads that help nursing aids take care of residents. It lets nurses use their time more efficiently. (quite cool, they installed windows XP embedded LCD's every 5 yds in the halls)[Each resident has a mag card that the nurses aid takes and swipes to access the residents records]
The nursing home also implimented a biometric ID system that allows employees to clock in and out.
I really like working there and being around the neat technology.

HOPE 5 r0x0rs

warning, racist site

[Anonymous Coward]

that story seemed reasonable, until i looked at the site. it's about white nationalism. i mark it suspect.

http://home.ddc.net/ygg/

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