Rita Kendricks was 85 years old when she slipped and broke her leg at home.
She lay on her living room floor for 6 hours, unable to move. She remembered how, despite her family and friends pleading with her, she had dismissed all suggestions of getting a personal alarm for the elderly.
“If I ever get out of this, the first thing I’m going to do is get one,” Rita promised herself.
Fortunately for her, a neighbor came by.
Rita isn’t the only one who feels this way. Over a million seniors in Australia live alone and at times require emergency assistance.
Personal alarms can detect when seniors are in distress and, in some cases, can even call for assistance.
But how do you choose a good personal alarm? Given the options available, this is no small feat.
While safety pendants and smartwatches track seniors’ movements and may even allow them to notify emergency responders, they can be cumbersome to wear.
Worse, older people frequently forget to wear or carry these devices.
What seniors need is a technology that can recognise when they need help and rush aid to them quickly.
That is precisely what some of the best personal alarms for the elderly, such as TEQ-Home, provide.
TEQ-Home is an ambient assistive technology designed to help seniors adhere to daily routines and positive health practices via spoken reminders.
It is comprised of a hub that’s centrally placed in the lounge or kitchen and eight motion sensors.
These sensors are placed infrequently accessed areas around the home and passively monitor the senior’s movements throughout the day.
TEQ-Home doesn’t require the senior to learn or do anything new. It builds up a pattern of the person’s daily movements, recognises when something changes and alerts caregivers and family members in an emergency.
Configuring It Is Easy via a set-up wizard…
Start t by programming it with three basic routines.
- Time to bed at night
- Wake up time in the morning
- Time in the bathroom
For example, if time in the bathroom has been set to an hour but the time spent is 90 minutes, the concern is whether an accident – such as a fall – has taken place. TEQ-Home prompts the person to press the button on the device to confirm they’re fine.
If they don’t respond after three reminders, the system messages carers and family members, asking them to check on the person.
Medication Reminders and More…
Forgetting to take medication can be a common occurrence, but with the TEQ-Home it is almost impossible. Sensors installed in medicine cabinets allow TEQ-Home to speak up and remind the user to take their medication if they do not open the medicine cabinet at the usual time.
Behaviour insights
This personal alarm for the elderly acts as a digital companion. It reports back to carers and family members (via messages on a personal online portal) when seniors have missed important activities.
If further prompts over a five-minute period go unanswered, it sends an SMS to caregivers and family members informing them that the person isn’t responding.
Text-to-Voice Messaging System
Carers and family members can leave text messages on the ‘Sofihub’ portal. TEQ-Home reads these messages aloud instantly or when movement is detected, which helps seniors stay connected with their loved ones.
Motion/Fall Detection
The TEQ-Home monitors routines unobtrusively and can detect movement or lack thereof, throughout the home. It notifies designated caregivers of anomalies, such as falls or changes in regular movement patterns.
For many older Australians, TEQ-Home is almost like a family member.
They know that with their advancing age, they could suffer from a stroke or a fall, but are equally aware that the system will alert their caregivers and family members should something untoward happen.
Personal alarms for the elderly like TEQ-Home empower seniors to live in their own homes for longer without having to rely on or intrude on the privacy of their family members.
Visit SOFIHUB to know more about TEQ-Home.