Using Smarter Technology for Elder Care
Mikael Eklunk, of UC Berkeley’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, is testing a new sensor network at a retirement home. This network consists of sensors that are only about the size of a deck of cards, and are designed to detect when seniors fall or suffer from acute ailments.
If the test is successful, and does not report false alarms, the technology could then be used by the elderly who still live at home. In an emergency, the sensors could send alerts via wireless technology to relatives or emergency personnel.
I am a caretaker of elderly parents who live right next door to me, and yet I am always worried that I won’t know quickly enough if something happens to them. Such a gadget would greatly ease my mind.
