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Research project features sensor technology
Mar 04, 2011
The Good Samaritan Society is bringing together several collaborators to help advance the organization’s new LivingWell@Home program. One of these collaborators is WellAWARE Systems, a Virginia-based company that developed the sensor technology being used by the Society in an accompanying research study.
Launched last June with an $8.1 million grant, the Society’s LivingWell@Home program is designed to provide a sustainable, proactive approach to care delivery for seniors through the use of technology. A main focus of LivingWell@Home is research to evaluate the effectiveness of using sensor technology, personal emergency response and telehealth services in helping seniors maintain wellness.
Through this study, the Good Samaritan Society wants to better understand how technology can provide new options for the way seniors live and receive care. The research also will examine cost savings associated with these services.
The organization believes the research results will persuade public and private insurers to provide reimbursement for the technology so more seniors can afford it, and show how these tools might play a role in curbing healthcare costs.
The technology developed by WellAWARE uses small, wireless motion sensors that are placed throughout a room or apartment. The sensors monitor wellness indicators such as sleep quality, activity levels and bathroom visits without the use of cameras, wearable devices or microphones. The data alerts caregivers to potential, emerging health conditions and provides the opportunity for early intervention.
“We are excited to provide WellAWARE as the core wellness monitoring platform for the LivingWell@Home program,” says Jeff Noce, president and chief executive officer for WellAWARE Systems. “Combining our sensor technology with PERS (personal emergency response) and telehealth creates a powerful solution that is a true game changer in the delivery of healthcare services in the senior living industry.”
Click on the image above to see a larger version. This graphic shows how sensors can be placed throughout a home to monitor wellness indicatiors such as a person's activity level.
For more information about the LivingWell@Home program, e-mail livewell@good-sam.com.
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