A 3rd generation telecare system for preventive medicine

Enrique de la Vega

  • PROJECT LEADER

    Enrique de la Vega

  • HOST ORGANIZATION,
    COUNTRY

    eurecat, Centro Tecnológico de Cataluña, Spain

  • DESCRIPTION

    Research
    Europe’s population as a whole is expected to be significantly older on average in the future. The current model of care for the elderly who are disabled or live alone requires an upgrade, providing innovative solutions for those who are less capable of living independently. Ekauri is a third generation telecare system that emits uninterrupted notifications from each patient’s home. It also processes and analyses the data, making it available to the caregivers and improving the quality of life of patients.

    Aim
    To take steps forward in telecare services by implementing ekauri, a new tool to monitor the health and safety of elderly dependent people in their homes.

    Problem to Solve
    Due to an ageing society, an increase in the size of the European age group over 65, from 96 million in 2015 to 148 million in 2060. In addition, predictions point to a substantial rise in the prevalence of chronic and mental illnesses among the elderly. Statistics show that people who are dependent prefer to receive care at home than being in care centres or residences, both from the point of view of quality of life and sustainability. Within this framework, the aim is to develop a telecare system that enables home-based integral care and attention, which is an essential medical need.

    Innovation
    The ekauri system establishes small sensors in different locations around the patient’s house to gather information regarding the environment, avoiding the use of cameras and microphones. The data collected is transferred to central servers via a wireless hub, allowing health professionals to access information in real time, so that they can make diagnoses and prevent potential incidents.

    Level of Innovation
    Having a clear overview of a patient’s habits and routines can identify when the patient cannot live alone anymore. Moreover, this tool is built using conventional hardware elements, which means it has potential for scaling up.