The iCarer project will work with end user organisations involved in supporting the informal care of elderly adults in the UK and Slovenia to deliver interoperable solutions providing a holistic cloud-based care support service. This will include Tunstall’s lifestyle monitoring services (ADLife), enhanced to provide informal carers with the information required to support them in their care duties.
Additional services include a personalised support and training program based on e-Learning methods, assistance mechanisms for the caregiver and monitoring and assistance services for the person being cared for. These services combine in order to achieve an overall feeling of safety and a substantial stress reduction for the caregiver. Because they are integrated into a holistic solution, iCarer shows significant benefits compared to existing, isolated assistance services.
Objectives
The increasing population ageing index makes customised care necessary to maintain the quality of life of older adults at home. As modern societies recognise their commitment to taking care of elderly citizens, new and innovative approaches are necessary. New models of care must be deployed, in which informal carers play a crucial role as one of the most important sources of care for older adults. The role of the main caregiver is often taken by the spouse or a close relative, which may often lead to stress, over-work, depression, and even being physically hit or struck. In addition, they might be not adequately prepared for some situations, causing a great sense of insecurity. Thus, support and distress relief in caregivers should be a key issue in the home-care process of these older adults
Expected results and impact
The iCarer project will develop a personalised and adaptive platform to offer informal carers support by means of monitoring activities of daily care, as well as their psychological state, and providing a learning framework to help them improve the care provided.
Registered data will be analysed and fed into the platform in order to model the Activities of Daily Care based on behavioural patterns. With this information, and if the informal caregiver is absent at the time, the platform will act as a “virtual carer”, giving support to the older adult and providing information to the carer in case a daily activity is done incorrectly.
Contact
Jim Charvill
E.: Jim.Charvill@tunstall.com
T.: +44 (0)1977 661234
Additional services include a personalised support and training program based on e-Learning methods, assistance mechanisms for the caregiver and monitoring and assistance services for the person being cared for. These services combine in order to achieve an overall feeling of safety and a substantial stress reduction for the caregiver. Because they are integrated into a holistic solution, iCarer shows significant benefits compared to existing, isolated assistance services.