Like many other developed countries, the older population on the UK is on the increase. This improvement in the life expectancy of our older loved ones is due to a number of factors, including better health care, advances in medical science when it comes to treating diseases and significantly improved sanitation.
This increase in the number of people living longer healthier lives has given rise to the increase in the amount of people who are choosing to remain in their own homes for as long as possible rather than move to an assisted living facility. According to the live in care hub (www.liveincarehub.co.uk ) this type of care is becoming increasingly common and can be very beneficial for older people as familiar surroundings are more comforting.
Live in care involves the elderly person remaining in their own home with someone either visiting them on a regular basis to help with day to day tasks or even living in their home to help them. Tech can play a very important role in helping with this.
Voice recognition software
For those elderly people who have someone come into their home on a regular basis to help them, voice recognition software can provide them with a valuable real-life solution. For those with mobility issues it can allow them to control a number of things in their homes from lights to the television. It can even allow them to answer the door without the struggle of getting up. If they are feeling lonely it also allows them to make contact with someone from their care circle who can then come to them.
Still in its infancy, we are only really beginning to explore exactly what is it this technology can do to help.
Sensors and alarms
Personal alarms that allow loved ones to alert someone in the event of an accident have been around for a while now, but tech has advanced so far that it is now possible to use sensors and other forms of smart hardware in the home to allow the elderly to live independently whilst their family can monitor in case of emergencies. These types of systems are likely to become increasingly more popular in the future as more and more people choose to live at home for longer and technology advances even further.
These sensors will be able to spot patterns in behaviour and recognise when a particular pattern has not been followed allowing someone to check on the elderly person and make sure that they are not ill or have had an accident.
The Better at home report provides plenty of information on this subject as well as details on the benefits that can be gained by our elderly loved ones from remaining in the familiar surroundings of their own homes for as long as possible.
