The Lab
The challenge
Digital solution which will track and alarm whether the social service beneficiary is active (does daily activity) which suggests that the user is ok/alive and there is no need for emergency intervention.
The context
Many users who are single and have a low level of need for social services, several times a month. In the period when they are not provided with social services, they are most often alone and without help. A digitalized solution is needed because it will indicate that the user is active/alive on everyday basis and that there is no need for emergency interventions.
Relevance
It can help to respond in time (e.g., falls, cardiac arrests, etc.) and save someone’s life. In addition, it gives the beneficiary of social services a sense of security. It can also reduce the stress, worry in the beneficiary’s family, friends, knowing that their loved ones are active, alive, well.
Prerequisites and boundary conditions
- Hardware (e.g., sensor, bracelet – automated sender) + software solution (mobile, web app – receiver).
- Someone is needed to monitor the user’s activities on daily basis (e.g., 2.3 times a day, it may be their children, family members, relatives, friends, Geronto-housekeepers…).
- Low level of digital literacy of social service beneficiaries – solution needs to be fully automated.
- Solutions should communicate (send a signal) via a mobile signal / internet.
Possible solutions
This is only an indicative proposal of possible solutions:
A simple application/tool (e.g., sensor, bracelet with mobile signal + mobile, web application etc.) which can track and records social service beneficiary activity, imperceptibly and/or without additional burden on the beneficiary.
It can be a sensor integrated into daily activities undertaken by the beneficiary (e.g., turning on the light next to the bed, locking the door, turning on the TV, etc.). Sensor (automatic sender) will record and automatically send the information through the application to the receiver (family member, Geronto-housekeeper etc.) that the user did that action and thus it will be a signal that everything is probably fine with the social service beneficiary, that he/she is alive, so no emergency intervention is needed.
It can also be a bracelet that monitors the vital functions and automatically sends beneficiary biometric data through the application and then alarm receiver (family member, Geronto-housekeeper etc.) if data parameters are bad/critical.
Excluded technologies
Expensive, hard to use, close environments, depending only on the internet connection.
Necessary interfaces
Automated interface on the sender side (sensor, bracelet), simple interface on the receiver side (application for mobile phones, web app etc.).