(Washington) There is an increasing number of technologies that are helping seniors stay in their homes. However, emotional needs are often only insufficiently taken into account due to this technological progress. At the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) last annual meeting in Washington in early March, speakers shared the latest advances in home support.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
falls
Between 20% and 30% of nursing home admissions in Canada occur after a fall. The spectrum of hip fractures is the focus of George Demiris’ work. This “medical computer scientist” from the University of Pennsylvania created the Sense4Safety system, which tracks patients’ gait around the home to detect symptoms of instability.
We aim to prevent falls by recognizing when there is a problem.
George Demiris, inventor of the Sense4Safety system
“For example, it could be due to cognitive decline, physical problems with inflammation, or a new drug. If we solve the problem before a fall, one of the main reasons for being placed in a nursing home will be prevented,” said Mr Demiris in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.
IMAGE SUPPLIED BY GEORGE DEMIRIS
Image generated by the Sense4Safety system
Sense4Safety’s infrared sensors are mounted on the ceiling and are being tested in care homes. Demiris estimates that the technology, which will cost less than $1,000, will be commercially viable within half a dozen years.
exoskeletons
Another approach is to physically prevent falls. “Several companies are working on walking aids or canes that detect obstacles and alert the patient,” says Demiris. Another approach would be to use an exoskeleton that goes from the feet to the waist. “It would really be an ideal solution because the exoskeleton could stabilize a patient who loses balance,” says Demiris. But we’re probably still a decade or two away from having reliable technology that patients can put on in the morning and at an affordable price. Falls have significant healthcare costs, but current exoskeleton technology is still very expensive. Some of these exoskeletons, including one from Quebec company B-Temia, are FDA-approved as walking aids in the US, but cost tens of thousands of dollars.
have a shower
PHOTO FROM I-SUPPORT SITE
The i-support robotic shower seat
Another major reason for the confinement, the inability to wash, is in the crosshairs of Cecilia Laschi, an Italian mechanical engineer who teaches at the University of Singapore. “The challenge for body care is to develop ‘soft robotics’ that have the necessary power without injuring the patient,” says Laschi. A robot shower was developed as part of the European project i-support.
“We have tested it in two German retirement homes, but we are still at the prototype stage. The challenge is to have a robust mechanism that is not too expensive to install. I think that within three years I will be able to test another prototype in retirement homes in Singapore. Ms. Laschi wants to integrate into the robotic shower, initially a fixed seat surrounded by two strategically placed jets of water, instruments that allow scrubbing the patient using “soft robotics” based on her work on a model octopus Robotics.
PHOTO FROM UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE WEBSITE
Cecilia Laschi with her robot octopus
Conversation
Two other speakers in Washington, Anne Turner of the University of Washington in Seattle and Robin Brewer of the University of Michigan, are bioinformaticians who specialize in communicating with the elderly. “One of the big issues for seniors is managing their health issues,” Ms. Brewer said. “We think chatbots can help organize their medical records in a way that they can understand,” says Brewer. So they could make their own health decisions. Often family members and doctors do not know how to convey this information well or do not have the time to explain the same information several times. »
PHOTO FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN WEBSITE
Robin Brewer
Voice agents overcome the difficulty for seniors with computers, keyboards and touch screens.
Robin Brewer, bioinformatician specializing in communication with the elderly at the University of Michigan
Ms. Brewer was surprised to see the openness of older participants in her clinical trials about health chatbots. “One of the participants said, ‘If Alexa [l’agent conversationnel d’Amazon] If I knew what state I would be put in, she would cry. To me, that means there is an openness to using these conversational agents that takes away the fear of being a burden or asking too many questions. We can also create a logbook containing useful information for caregivers. Another of Ms Brewer’s projects is a robotic shopping bag for slow grocery shopping. “Seniors often worry that they are taking too much time to shop for groceries for accompanying caregivers. »
cognitive problems
Ms. Turner specializes in communicating with patients with cognitive problems. “There are better ways than others to communicate with these patients,” Ms. Turner says. For example, we can ask them questions about their past to see what kind of choices they made and let them inspire us for choices to make in the present. You can also use visual aids, such as simple drawings. Chatbots help codify these best practices. Ms. Turner leads a US government National Institute on Aging (NIA) project on Decision Making in Alzheimer’s Research.
Artificial intelligence
A major challenge is the use of artificial intelligence. “In all experiments with chatbots that use artificial intelligence, you always see the same fear,” says Demiris. Will we lock the elders in a parallel world where social interactions are subtly but radically different from those with humans? This is a major ethical problem that will take several years or even a decade to resolve. »
workforce
Does this mean that robotics will solve the labor shortage in elderly care? “Certainly not in the short term,” says Demiris. It will be several years before we can be sure that chatbots can be introduced in a systematic, ethical and truly useful way. But for the most difficult tasks, we will see a real revolution in exoskeletons in the next few decades. It should make these types of jobs less difficult and more attractive. »
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1.1% rate of fatal falls among males aged 65-69
Source: National Institutes of Aging
0.6% rate of fatal falls among women aged 65-69
Source: National Institutes of Aging
15.3% rate of fatal falls in men over 84 years of age
Source: National Institutes of Aging
10.6% rate of fatal falls in women over 84 years of age
Source: National Institutes of Aging