RFID Wearables Remotely Monitor Seniors to Improve Care
Senior citizens comprise the world's fastest-growing population group. Within the next 50 years, their number is expected to double from the current 10% to 22% (700 million to 1.4 billion people). They present a growing challenge for healthcare, as seniors frequently suffer from chronic mental and physical diseases. They also require expensive medical care and ongoing monitoring. 90% of the nursing home beds are currently occupied by seniors and this number is expected to grow rapidly. However, the resources available for healthcare services are limited. This issue has triggered a requirement for technology-driven changes to current healthcare practices to provide better assistance. Such solutions help seniors to be more autonomous and self-reliant in taking care of their own health, which results in fewer hospital visits and better care management. [1] For seniors, falling can be a serious health risk. Each year, three million people are treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries and one out of four seniors has a serious fall, but there are options for preventing falls. One option is to use remote monitoring devices, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) wearables, to enable caregivers to be notified of falls. However, not all seniors feel comfortable using technology, because they don’t understand how to use it. Like those who came of age in the computer era move into their elder years, more seniors are gradually becoming more tech-savvy.
