Using Technology to Help the Elderly and Their Caregivers | Garett Ho | TEDxMeritAcademy
Summary
TLDRThe speaker discusses the challenges of caring for aging relatives, particularly those with dementia, and introduces an app designed to assist caregivers. The app syncs with a wearable device to monitor vitals, daily activities, medication, and location, providing real-time alerts and peace of mind. It also aims to address social isolation by connecting seniors and caregivers, offering a community and support network to combat loneliness and its detrimental effects.
Takeaways
- 👵 Aging Care: The script highlights the challenges of caring for aging family members, including the emotional and logistical burdens.
- 🏠 Nursing Homes: It discusses the high costs of nursing home care and whether it's a viable option for elderly individuals.
- 🏠 At-Home Care: The possibility of elderly family members moving into a caregiver's home and the 24/7 responsibilities that come with it.
- 🧠 Dementia Risks: The dangers that can arise in the home environment for those with dementia or Alzheimer's, such as accidents and wandering.
- 📈 Aging Population: The growing elderly population in the US, with a significant percentage of the population being 65 and older.
- 🧠 Dementia Prevalence: The high number of elderly individuals suffering from dementia and the associated cognitive challenges.
- 🚑 Health Risks: The increased risk of death following a fall and the importance of constant vigilance for elderly individuals.
- 💡 Caregiver App: The introduction of an app designed to monitor health markers and provide peace of mind for caregivers.
- 🔒 Safety Features: The app's ability to track heart rate, ECG, daily activities, medication, and location to ensure safety and timely intervention.
- 👥 Social Connection: The app's potential to combat loneliness and social isolation among the elderly by facilitating connections with others.
- 🛠️ Future Enhancements: Plans for the app to include more comprehensive health and safety features, such as automatic home safety measures.
Q & A
What are some common challenges families face when caring for elderly relatives?
-Families often face emotional tolls and logistical decisions, especially when the elderly can no longer live independently. Deciding between nursing home care, which can be very expensive, and becoming a full-time caretaker are significant challenges.
What personal experience does the speaker share about elderly care?
-The speaker shares that their grandmother, whom they affectionately call Popo, recently moved into a nursing home. They also discuss the experiences of their extended family members who care for aging relatives.
Why can living alone become dangerous for elderly individuals with dementia?
-Living alone can be dangerous because individuals with dementia may forget to turn off stoves, potentially causing fires, or forget which faucet is hot, leading to burns. They may also wander away from home, risking getting lost or injured.
What statistics are provided about the elderly population in the United States?
-The speaker mentions that 56 million Americans are elderly (65 and older), making up almost 17% of the population. Additionally, about 6.5 million Americans, or 11% of the elderly population, suffer from dementia.
What health risks increase with age and dementia?
-Elderly individuals face increased risks such as falls that can lead to fractured hips, which significantly raise the likelihood of death. Dementia increases risks of wandering, forgetting medications, and other safety concerns.
How does the proposed app help caregivers monitor elderly individuals?
-The app syncs with a wearable device to monitor heart rate, ECG, daily activities, and location. It provides notifications for any concerning changes, helping caregivers manage health risks without being physically present 24/7.
What specific features will the app include to track elderly health?
-The app will monitor heart rate, ECG, daily activities, sleep schedules, medication schedules, and location. It aims to provide comprehensive health tracking to prevent serious issues and ensure proper medication dosing.
How does the app address the problem of elderly wandering?
-The app includes a GPS location function to track the elderly's whereabouts, allowing caregivers to intervene quickly if the individual wanders away from home, thus preventing potentially dangerous situations.
What social benefits does the app offer to the elderly and their caregivers?
-The app aims to reduce social isolation by connecting elderly individuals for meetups and allowing caregivers to communicate with each other for support. This can help address loneliness, which is linked to higher risks of dementia and other health issues.
What future enhancements does the speaker plan to add to the app?
-Future plans include expanding the app to Android, improving fall detection, integrating with webcams for better home monitoring, and developing technology to automatically turn off stoves or close refrigerator doors.
Outlines
👵 Elderly Care Challenges and the Innovative App Solution
The first paragraph addresses the multifaceted challenges of elderly care, particularly for those with dementia. It highlights the emotional and logistical burdens on families, the high costs of nursing home care, and the risks associated with age-related illnesses. The speaker shares a personal story about their grandmother, 'Popo,' who moved into a nursing home, and the stress experienced by other family members who are primary caregivers. The paragraph also presents alarming statistics about the aging population in the U.S., the prevalence of dementia, and the dangers elderly individuals face, such as accidents and wandering. The introduction of an app designed to monitor health markers through a wearable device offers a potential solution for constant vigilance, providing peace of mind for caregivers and ensuring timely medical intervention.
🔒 Privacy and Social Connection: Enhancing Elderly Care with Technology
The second paragraph delves into the importance of privacy and dignity in elderly care, and how the proposed app addresses these concerns without intruding. It discusses the potential for the app to collect useful data for medical visits and to allow preset actions for emergencies. The speaker also envisions features that enable direct communication between caregivers and the elderly, as well as social features to combat loneliness and isolation, which are significant risk factors for depression and dementia. The paragraph reflects on the impact of the pandemic on social isolation among seniors and suggests that the app could facilitate connections within a community, providing support and understanding among caregivers. The speaker expresses aspirations to expand the app's features, including cross-platform availability and advanced safety technologies, to improve the quality of life and safety for the elderly and their caregivers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Caregiving
💡Nursing Home
💡Dementia
💡Wearable Device
💡ECG (Electrocardiogram)
💡Medication Tracking
💡Location Tracking
💡Isolation
💡Alzheimer's Association
💡Community
💡Safety
Highlights
The emotional and logistical challenges of caregiving for the elderly are overwhelming, especially for those with age-related illnesses like dementia.
Nursing home costs can exceed $100,000 per year, making it a financial burden for many families.
Becoming a primary caretaker at home involves assuming 24/7 responsibilities, which can be consuming.
Elderly individuals with dementia can face dangerous situations in their homes, such as fires or burns due to forgetfulness.
Wandering is a significant concern for elderly with dementia, posing risks of injury or getting lost.
The aging population in the US is growing, with 56 million Americans aged 65 and older, making up 17% of the general population.
Approximately 6.5 million Americans suffer from dementia, which is 11% of the elderly population.
Falls resulting in a fractured hip can significantly increase the likelihood of death, especially if not treated surgically.
The proposed app aims to track health markers and sync with a wearable device for seniors, allowing remote monitoring by caregivers.
The app will monitor heart rate, ECG, daily activities, and location, providing notifications for caregivers in case of abnormalities.
ECG tracking is critical for detecting heart rhythm variations that could indicate serious cardiac events.
Monitoring daily activities, including sleep schedules, is crucial for overall health and can prevent mood disorders.
Medication tracking through the app ensures accurate dosing and timely notifications for refills, preventing life-threatening mistakes.
The location function of the app uses GPS to keep track of the senior's whereabouts, aiding in the safety of those prone to wandering.
The app addresses privacy concerns by allowing tracking without intruding on the elderly's daily lives.
Future plans for the app include preset actions for emergencies, direct communication features for caregivers, and social connectivity to combat loneliness.
The app has the potential to expand to Android, integrate with webcams, and develop technology for home safety, such as automatically turning off appliances.
The number of people with dementia in the US is projected to reach 12.7 million by 2050, emphasizing the need for such safety and community apps.
The app can provide a sense of security for caregivers and help seniors live more fully, safely, and securely.
Transcripts
foreign
how many of you are close with an aging
relative or front
who here has special memories with a
grandparent
are any of you the primary caretaker of
an elderly member of your family
perhaps you take care of someone with an
age-related illness like dementia
for many families the specific
caregiving can be overwhelming
not only is there the emotional toll but
there are seemingly endless logistical
decisions that have to be made
particularly as the elderly reaches a
point where they can no longer live on
their own
is the nursing home the best option or
even a financial possibility with costs
upwards of one hundred thousand dollars
a year or more will they be able to move
into your home and then you become the
primary caretaker assuming the 24 7
responsibilities that come along with
that role
my grandmother who I affectionately
referred to as Popo
recently moved into a nursing home
she has the financial means to do so and
thankfully she's quite happy in her
surroundings
my extended family has people taking
care of their aging relatives I overhear
the stories about the stress they
experience and how caretaking consumes
almost every hour of their days
for people with Dementia or Alzheimer's
the one safe surroundings of their homes
can become incredibly dangerous
82 year old Molly left the stove on
after warming up a suit for lunch and
inadvertently started a house fire
76 year old Nathan forgot which fossa
was hot and ended up burning himself
quite seriously
90 year old Ryan wandered out of the
house and walked almost two miles on a
busy highway until a police officer
located him and escorted him back
although the names have been changed for
privacy reasons these are real stories
and sadly not all stories of people who
wander off or injure themselves end well
the Aging population of the US is
growing
56 million Americans are elderly or ages
65 and older that is almost 17 percent
of the general population
additionally about 6.5 million Americans
or 11 of the elderly population suffer
from dementia
the cognitive challenges of Aging are
not the only concern
a fall that results in a fractured hip
increases the likelihood of death by 21
even if treated with surgery
this number skyrockets to 70 if the
injury is not treated surgically
there is a need to have constant
Vigilant watch over many elderly people
particularly those with dementia
paranoia unpredictable Behavior
forgetting medicines and wandering out
of the home are just few of the many
challenges caregivers must contend with
so I'm designing an app that can help
track several different markers of
individual health
the app will be synced with a wearable
device for the senior allowing
caretakers to monitor them without
needing to be present 24 7.
the Apple monitor heart rate ECG daily
activities and location
fluctuations in heart rate can indicate
a serious medical problem
and the app will notify caregivers so
help can be provided quickly
ECG or electrocardiogram tracks the
heart's Rhythm and electrical activity
variations to the ECG can indicate a
slight heart murmur to a full-on cardiac
event in which time to get help is
critical
for caregivers who stress about leaving
to grocery shop or return to their job
after checking on their loved one
the peace of mind that comes from having
this kind of information could be
life-changing
daily activities also monitors the
elderly sleep schedules which is one of
the most important aspects of Health
adequate sleep thieves off heart disease
and mood disorders while enhancing clear
thinking and focus
if someone doesn't get enough sleep on a
daily basis they could be putting their
overall health in jeopardy
medication tracking can also be
monitored through the app the goal is to
track medication schedules and
dispensing ensuring accurate dosing and
notifications when pills are in low
stock
forgetting to take medicines or
accidentally taking them more than
prescribed can be life-threatening it's
common for seniors to be on multiple
medications but proper dosing is
critical
blood pressure medication prescribed for
once daily consumption can save a life
but for the Alzheimer's patient who
inadvertently takes it more than once a
day it can be life-threatening
the location function allows GPS to
identify where exactly the senior is at
all times
this has specific benefits for those
with Dementia or tendency to wander many
caregivers of these memory challenge
individuals cite the stress over leaving
their home and getting lost are their
greatest concern
remember Ryan the 90 year old man who
wandered for two miles on a busy highway
this app would have notified Ryan's
caregiver of his location and they could
have intervened earlier
the Alzheimer's Association suggests
that 6 in 10 people living with dementia
will wander at least once and many do so
repeatedly
privacy and maintaining dignity get more
challenging as people age and health
demands increase
people concerned about the Integrity of
the elderly while the app tracks them in
their daily lives
this app addresses that very concern
people can use the app both inside of
the home and outside
being aware of the elderly's actions
does not mean intruding on their privacy
and not every notification will require
face-to-face interaction
but the collection of data can be useful
for future doctor visits
in the future I intend to make preset
actions possible
like calling an ambulance in the event
of certain medical issues noted by the
app
I also intend to add a function for
caregivers to directly speak to the
elderly in order to check how they are
doing remind them to take medicines or
anything else that would require the
caregiver to speak to them
there are also social concerns that the
elderly experience and the app can
address
loneliness is one of the leading causes
of depression
social isolation is associated with a 50
increased risk of dementia
the CDC suggests that poor social
relationships among the elderly increase
Christopher Stroke by 32 percent in
heart disease by 29 this app can solve
some of these Social Challenges
other seniors within a certain
geographical radius will be able to
connect for in-person or virtual meetups
the impact of isolation is something we
can all understand if we look back at
the coveted pandemic
While most of us were isolated in some
fashion seniors were an ultra lockdown
unable to see each other for extended
periods of time
the lingering effects of the pandemic
prove just how detrimental loneliness
can be
this app can play a vital role in
connecting people together
how fantastic would it be for caregivers
to speak with other caregivers as well
providing the much needed understanding
that only other caregivers can provide
a community can be created from this app
and I am inclined to see this aspect of
it grow
the possibilities for additional
features is exciting
I hope to expand from iOS to Android
more comprehensive fault detection
syncing with webcams and some kind of
technology to make sure that the stove
is not left on are just some feature
plans
these all improve the safety
capabilities of the app
more comprehensive fall detection will
allow the app to detect Falls more
quickly and accurately and not rely on a
spike in heart rate to know that
something is wrong
full detection coupled with webcams that
I intend to implement
can give a better understanding of the
situation inside of the home the
technology to automatically turn off the
stove or maybe close the refrigerator
doors do seem challenging but they are
the very challenges that we must tackle
the number of people living in the U.S
with dementia is projected to be 12.7
Million by 2050.
there's a tremendous need to keep this
community safe and provide a sense of
security for caregivers
by monitoring vitals and dealing
activities and creating connections
within the community through a
user-friendly app
people can live their lives more fully
safely and securely
thank you
[Applause]
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