Using AI to Make Homes Safer for Seniors, Part 1

Inevitably, humans get older, and as the US population ages, the number of individuals who require nursing homecare also increases. Today, more seniors prefer aging in the comfort of their own homes, and Philip Regenie, CEO of AI healthcare company, Zanthion Inc., believes technological living solutions can offer better protection for seniors, while reducing the economic burden of long-term care.

Now, smart homes can better equip seniors, who are aging at home, to live healthier and more active lives, while establishing a sense of independence.

By integrating AI into an effective and well thought-out plan, Regenie believes healthcare settings can benefit significantly. Already, AI is applied in different healthcare settings by capturing data locally from sensors and environmental input. These sensors range from motion, oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and ECG sensors. Modern sensors for accurate blood pressure measurements use the actual pressure change in the vessels using write-worn cuffs. Meanwhile, environmental data captured can entail the recognition of IV bags and calculation of flow, along with pharmaceutical analysis.

“AI consumes this data from thousands of patients and looks for patterns that result in events such as falls, seizures, blood clots, heart attacks, and sepsis,” said Regenie. “In its most basic form, AI recognizes the event. In its future form, it recognizes a coming event.”

Although AI has the ability to influence an all-encompassing hospital, it also has the ability to hone in on specific health trends and mitigate negative consequences. For instance, Regenie said AI can assist in reducing the economic impact of elderly falls.

“Both AI and standard analytics are an effective means of identifying falls as they happen. Falls come in many forms, including falls that are passive,” said Regenie. “Severe falls, or falls that demonstrate an immediate need for intervention, are characterized by a prone position and lack of movement.”

There are often serious consequences when an individual falls. The fear an individual endures after falling can be quite damaging. Imagine lying on the floor, but being unable to move. This fear unearths a stream of anxieties, such as how long the responders will take, who will respond, and what the consequences will be of this fall. Fear of the result of a fall can mentally destabilize a senior.

“AI and crowdsourced resolution can bring a known face to the victim of the fall sooner,” said Regenie. “This alone is a huge start.  More importantly, AI’s predictive capabilities provides a good indication that someone is about to fall, which allows us to take measures to avoid the damage that might occur.”

In Part 2, Regenie delves into specific smart home technologies that can prevent falls. He also identifies guidelines to help integrate AI into different infrastructures.