Mobility behavior assessment using a smart-monitoring system to care for the elderly in a hospital environment

Abstract

The number of elderly people in developed countries is increasing, and the number of individuals suffering from age-related diseases is also growing. Elderly people prefer to live as independently as possible at home, but living independently has its risks, such as falling, weakening bodies, memory loss, and wandering that limit mobility and activities. Basic functions like walking and sleeping are key indicators in determining the performance of an elderly person's home activities. For this reason a low cost, smart and real-time home monitoring system has been developed to collect individual mobility data (walking, sleeping, and going to the washroom) and warns formal or informal caregivers immediately when there is a dangerous event or motor behavior impairment. This paper reports on our current trials of a monitoring system in an Alzheimer's unit to determine the mobility behavior of some patients.