Three Generations of Telecare of the Elderly

Abstract

The increasing number of elderly and infirm people living alone in their own homes is creating the need for new personal emergency response systems based on public telephone and cable networks. While existing systems enable clients to summon help in the event of illness, future services are likely to make use of evolving technologies to provide automatic sensing of emergencies and to predict long-term deterioration in health, using activity profiles. The characteristics and requirements of these second-generation systems are discussed and predictions are made about the innovative services and facilities that may be available in third-generation systems, when broadband communication is available to the home.

A Review of Approaches to Mobility Telemonitoring of the Elderly in Their Living Environment

“…Perry et al 40 described a third generation 15 telecare system, The Millennium Home, which has built on the work of the second generation Anchor Trust/BT telecare project. Like it's predecessor, the Millennium Home was designed to support "a cognitively fit and able-bodied user" and detect any deviations from their normal healthy circadian activities using health smart home sensors.…”

Ageing in Place in the United Kingdom

“…One response that has become increasingly high profile in the UK is the development of telecare services, where information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to help people to live more independently in their own homes (Fisk 2003). A first "generation" of telecare (Doughty et al 1996;Sixsmith et al 2007) refers to community alarm systems, where a person raises an alarm in a call centre by pushing a button (or pulling a cord) on a device in their home or on a pendant or wrist device worn on their person. The call centre then checks the person and arranges some kind of response if required.…”

Health "Smart" Home: Information Technology for Patients at Home

“…25 Doughty et al 10 suggest the classification of telecare systems into three generations of systems whereas Williams et al organized them into only two generations. 6 In both classifications, social alarm systems are in the first generation.…”

“…10 In contrast with the fragmented approach currently implemented with individual telecare devices working independently, the extended HSH concept proposes a holistic approach to remote care by making the following assumptions:…”