Over the coming years, radar sensor technology will revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered, especially in aged care facilities.
The world is not growing any younger. Studies show that by 2050, 1 in 6 people will be over the age of 65.
And aged care facilities will soon feel the strain if they haven’t already.
Providing personalised attention and care is what they strive to deliver… but there are challenges.
- Lack of Government funding
- Overworked and underpaid staff
- Lack of adequate resources to care for the elderly
- Lack of technological innovation to increase efficiency
Radar sensor technology solves many of these problems by:
- Helping deliver a higher quality of care
- Increasing the efficiency of healthcare operations
- Reducing operational cost
If you run an aged care facility, here are 10 good reasons you should consider learning more about radar sensor technology:
1. Early detection of illness and heart disease
Radar-enabled bed sensors can monitor vital signs like heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure. Caregivers receive alerts when normal limits are breached.
Heart disease is a major cause of death for men and women. Having a sensor that monitors heart rate 24×7 provides significant benefits for older adults.
2. Measurement and monitoring of sleep patterns
Sensors placed in the patient’s room track when and for how long people sleep. Data acquired from sleep patterns can detect early signs of illness.
3. Post-operative care
With radar sensor technology, patients discharged from the hospital can receive hospital-like medical attention at home or in aged care facilities.
Besides monitoring for minute movements like vital signs and cardiac health, radar technology excels in detecting larger movements. Like gait and mobility.
Sensors passively record the movement and behaviour of people 24×7. Sudden changes in vital signs or major movements like falls are detected immediately, and caregivers are alerted.
4. Detects the presence or absence of people in rooms
Radar sensors monitor the movement of people and raise alerts in the event of abnormal behaviour. For example, patients not being in their rooms when they should be or not being in bed when they should be.
5. Helps the elderly cope with dementia
Elderly people in advanced stages of dementia can react only to facial expressions and gestures. Fraunhofer IZM researchers are working on a breakthrough innovation that can ease the lives of these patients.
It comes in the form of a tablet equipped with radar and communication technology.
Examples could be a voice control system built into an artificial flower, or a small projector into a picture frame. Caregivers would receive pictures, songs, and other information to provide a more individualised interaction with the elderly.
The project is just at its halfway mark but all stakeholders agree that this can revolutionise patient care.
6. Real-time fall detection
Falling is a serious health risk for older people (those aged 65 and above).
According to the CDC, more than one out of four older people fall each year and 20% of these falls result in broken bones and head injuries.
Each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency rooms for fall injuries.
Aged care facilities use radar sensing technology to detect falls instantly and alert emergency responders.
Like the eazense Powered by SOFIHUB.
eazense Powered by SOFIHUB is a passive real-time fall detection system for the elderly and uses unique radar sensor technology backed by AI.
It provides continuous, non-invasive monitoring that offers live falls and presence detection across multiple occupants in a room without the need for a wearable and is available now.
7. Helps save on healthcare costs
Caregiver visits and requirements are reduced when remote health monitoring is used – resulting in reduced caregiver and healthcare costs.
8. Provides Independence
Aged care residents feel more confident knowing that aid will be rushed to them in the event they fall sick or suffer a sudden fall. Radar sensor technology helps them move around freely and live independently while also giving them the dignity they desire.
9. Peace of mind
Children and relatives of the elderly can rest assured that their loved ones will receive the highest quality of care and immediate medical attention in case of an emergency.
10. Reduces operational cost
Devices like the eazense require very low maintenance, think of it as a smoke alarm for falls detection sitting unobtrusively 2.2 m above the ground requiring zero interaction from the resident.
The good news is that despite the world’s older population continuing to grow at an unprecedented rate… radar sensor technology makes it easier to provide them with the high-quality care they deserve.
Visit https://www.sofihub.com/falls-detection/ to find out how your aged care facility can benefit from the use of fall detection sensor technology.