The UK population is ageing.

The number of people aged 60 and over will exceed 20 million between 2020 and 2030. Telecare is the application of smart home solutions to provide support. Current examples include:

  • personal alarm and fall detectors
  • automatic pill dispensers
  • bed occupancy sensors to check movement away from and return to bed
  • flood detectors for checking water levels in the bath
  • door contacts to monitor movement within and out of the home
  • detectors to ensure the home ambient temperature stays above a minimum threshold.

Telehealth is the use of electronic services in the home to monitor vital signs, for example the condition of the heart following a heart attack. This can defer or displace the need for hospitalisation, with consequent savings in transport and stress for the patient.

For healthcare trusts, telehealth will support the effective use of clinical resources. It is also consistent with the shift in emphasis from acute facilities to healthcare in the community.

Source

黑洞社区 Sustainable Design