by The NHS should try “Robo Minder” to keep an eye on dementia patients in their own houses.
With the technology, hospital teams can check whether older people do regular activities, e.g. B. cups of tea or sleep normally.
It happens that official figures show half a million people that a dementia diagnosis for the NHS has received. The latest NHS data for England show 506,549 diagnoses, compared to 490.163 a year ago.
The Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust incorporated patients for the MindCare scheme in which a network of sensors that are installed in the household was used to attribute data to a committed team of doctors, nurses and other clinical specialists.
The trust said the system could recognize signs of changes in health needs and possibly reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
The NHS offers the MinderCare service for monitoring the remote control and at home to improve the care of people with dementia – Thomas Angus/Imperial College London
Family members reported that the new devices had given them “peace of mind” when they left their loved one alone. The devices mean that signs of deterioration are easy to discover and the care plans are optimized.
The leading dementia doctor England encouraged those who have to deal with memory with memory problems or other possible symptoms to seek help from their family doctor to support access.
Dr. Jeremy Isaacs, the national clinical director of dementia at NHS England, said: “Thanks to the forward patients and families and the hard work of the NHS employees, we have more than half a million people in whom dementia was diagnosed. Many of them live in their own houses with the support of family and friends.
“Lowercare is a great example of the NHS beating technology to help more people live in their own houses. While families are collecting this holiday weekend for the first time in months, it is an opportunity to recognize the signs of dementia.
“There are many reasons why people could be forgetful or absent, but it could be the sign that something is wrong. Problems that have not yet been obvious, such as forgetfulness, difficulties, plans or word finding problems, can be easier to see if families or friends across the country come together over a longer period of time.
“Getting the diagnosis of dementia is the first step to support people with a variety of NHS services that can help.
“If you have noticed that someone has symptoms, please encourage him to visit your family doctor for an evaluation – the earlier someone is seen, the faster the NHS can help.”
The test version of Smart -Home devices connected via the Internet include door, device and movement sensors that can capture trends in movement in the household and for basic household tasks.
There is also a bed mat that is under the mattress, the sleeping disorders, captivates and measures breathing and heart rate. None of the devices records sound or video to maintain privacy.
“It is soothing”
Edith, 83, was diagnosed a few years ago and lives with her son Lee, 54. She has been using the Merncare service for five months.
She said: “It is reassuring to know that the hospital team is looking for me at home, especially when Lee is not here.
“I have had a few falls and some problems with my breathing in the past two years. So I had to spend a lot of time in the hospital. The nurses suggested trying these sensors to help me at home – so that they can make sure that I am fine.
“It took some getting used to – the sensors on the wall sometimes flashes and I had to adapt it matt under my mattress. But I’m not really noticing it now.”
Lee said: “I am grateful that she can live at home, with a little additional support with me. But I can’t always see everything that is going on, and I am worried that something could happen while I am not out of the house, at work or something.
“So I was interested when the specialist nurses who support the mother, mentioned a new house monitoring service and asked if we wanted to try it.
“It took about half an hour for the team to set it up at home and put sensors on the door, walls and under mamattress. It was a bit strange, but not disturbing at first, and we are now fully used to it.
“It gave me more mind. I know that mom is in good hands and with the additional surveillance hopes that we can accommodate all problems early and adapt their care accordingly.”
As part of the program, the data is checked by a surveillance team every day to identify trends or patterns that could indicate health and care needs so that they can quickly be escalated for further review and intervention if necessary.
For example, disturbed sleep and night’s sleep are often problems for people with dementia. These challenges can be improved by careful medication management.
The bed mat sensor can be used to pursue the reaction to medication by changing night activity, heart rate and breathing. The data can then be used to manage medication and ensure the correct dosage.
Subtle changes recognized
Respiratory infections and urine infections that occur more often in older adults can lead to serious health complications in patients with dementia, which may not easily recognize the early signs and symptoms.
The sensors of lower can recognize subtle changes that can indicate an infection, such as: B. Changes to cardiac or respiratory rates. This enables earlier intervention and faster recovery.
The system can also identify unusual movement habits, e.g. B. the house in the middle of the night or a lack of activity during the day.
For some people, changes in routine and excursion expenditure can highlight an immediate problem at unusual times or increase an gradual risk, especially for those who live alone.
Data on activity patterns can be used to update care plans and offer more support if they are needed.
The program will be introduced to 100 patients until September as part of a study in which the feasibility of a wider rollout is set and is part of the greater efforts to provide more care in the government’s 10-year plans to increase health.
The service model was developed by researchers from the British Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Center at Imperial College London in collaboration with clinical teams of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Minderecare was financed and supported by Lifearc, a non -profit medical research organization.
The NHS has long prepared to deal with robots to support dementia patients and “virtual health coaches” to drive families as part of the efforts to increase the pressure on services into a healthier lifestyle.
The ministers said that Great Britain’s health services should follow those Japan and should take the technology to produce “world fittings” results by keeping people healthier for longer.
