Intelligent emergency call systems - smart security for seniors

When elderly people live alone at home, relatives are often worried. What happens if the person falls or a sudden medical emergency occurs. Emergency call detectors for the home offer good protection, because the transmitter worn close to the body can be pressed quickly in an emergency situation so that help can be organised. But what if the transmitter is not with you? Maybe it is lying somewhere on the table, has simply been forgotten or even deliberately left there. This is where a new intelligent emergency call system enters the scene. It consists of different, individually assembled components that are designed to automatically recognise dangerous situations and then emit an automated emergency call signal. Here you can find out everything you need to know about it.

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Ambient Assisted Living - intelligent technical assistants

The term Ambient Assisted Living (AAL for short) has become established in the English-speaking world. It can be translated as "ambient assisted living" and includes systems that are intended to facilitate internet-based living in old age. The aim is to maintain a self-determined life and to offer support in coping with everyday life. Thus, the offer is aimed at older people who need a certain amount of support, but can and want to still live independently on their own. However, AAL systems are not only an enormous relief for the older people themselves, but also for relatives or care services.

AAL systems are structured similarly to smart home systems, with which there are some overlaps. There are different modules with special functions that can be networked with each other and controlled centrally via an app. The modules can be individually adapted to the needs of the elderly person and to the living environment. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is massively committed to the expansion of these systems, but so far only the intelligent emergency call has been able to penetrate private households on a broad scale. However, other options will almost certainly follow in the next few years, because only technically clever solutions can counter demographic change.

Structure and function of an intelligent emergency call system

An intelligent emergency call system belongs to the large group of AAL systems and can be used both at home and on the move. It follows the principle of collecting data from the immediate environment of the person to be cared for, analysing it and reacting to it appropriately. In this way, technical elements are linked to the social environment, which is immediately notified in an analysed emergency situation. To achieve this, the system consists of the following elements:

  1. Base station

The base station is the heart of the intelligent emergency call system. It should be placed at a central point in the living space and requires access to electricity and internet. Contact to all sensors used is established via the WLAN. The collected data converge here and are analysed. In the event of an emergency, the alarm signal is sent from here.

  1. Sensors

An intelligent system is based on the ability to make its own decisions and to act according to the situation. To be able to do this, it works with different sensors that measure the environment. This measurement data is then compared with the "normal state" and evaluated. As soon as a measured value deviates from the norm, an alarm is triggered. What sounds a bit complicated at first, quickly becomes apparent with the help of examples. If the sensor used is a smoke detector, for example, an alarm is triggered as soon as the sensor detects a change. If the sensor used is a fall sensor, it can interpret untypical and sudden movement patterns as a fall and trigger an alarm accordingly. The different possible sensors are discussed further below.

  1. Mobile phone app

The collected measurement data can be retrieved in real time via app from a smartphone. Even without triggering an alarm, it is possible to quickly check whether everything is OK. In this app, standard values can also be defined or contact data for emergencies can be set up. In the event of an emergency, the information that a potentially dangerous situation exists is then immediately passed on via push message, call, e-mail or SMS. The family member, neighbour or even a care service called in can then get help promptly.

Different types of sensors

The possibilities for integrating sensors into an intelligent emergency call system are almost endless and will certainly be further expanded in the coming years. Basically, two types of sensors can be distinguished:

  1. Sensors for monitoring the living space

Automated monitoring of the living space makes it possible on the one hand to directly detect possible dangers that could affect the occupant from the outside. For example, smoke, gas or burglar alarms measure whether the environment is safe and warn immediately if a dangerous situation arises. In this way, the occupant is warned of dangers that he or she might not even have noticed, and can get to safety in time. On the other hand, data can be determined that allow conclusions to be drawn about the resident's behaviour without directly monitoring him or her. For example, sensors on the front door can detect whether it is open for an excessively long time, or light sensors can detect whether lamps are not switched on or off. If, for example, the light is still not switched on at 6 p.m. in winter, even though the person is at home, there could be a problem that should be investigated.

A more direct approach is to use fall mats, which can be laid out in predestined places (e.g. in the bathroom). Although they do not measure the person themselves, they recognise when a person falls at that spot. The handy fall mats can be placed under the shower mat in the bathroom, for example. With a little effort, entire rooms can also be equipped with a so-called Sensfloor. This floor covering, which is equipped with proximity sensors, is laid out over a large area under the floor covering, similar to impact sound insulation, and divides the area into different zones. As soon as a body touches several of these zones simultaneously, the floor analyses a fall and emits an emergency signal. Sensor mats work the other way round in bed or on an armchair. They detect when a person is there. If this sensor registers no use at defined times or at certain intervals, an alarm can also be triggered.

  1. Sensors for direct human monitoring

In the case of direct monitoring of the person, the sensors used are located in the immediate vicinity of the body so that the focus is completely on the person being cared for. In the simplest case, these are motion sensors that can detect when and where a person is moving, but can also sound an alarm if no movement has been detected for a long time. Fall sensors can also be worn as a bracelet or necklace. They analyse movement and can reliably detect a sudden fall. If the fallen person does not get up again within a defined time window, an alarm is also triggered in this situation. For outdoors, the motion sensors can also be equipped with GPS. This makes it easy to find disoriented people or to send help quickly to the right place in an emergency. When locating dementia patients a safety zone can even be set up in advance, the leaving of which triggers an alarm and informs a relative.

In addition to pure movement, certain vital signs can also be automatically recorded and analysed. A frequently used sensor is a blood sugar sensor. A fine needle sticks painlessly into the upper layer of the skin and is fixed with a plaster. A receiver device interrogates the amount of sugar in the tissue at regular intervals. This is the same as the sugar level in the blood. In case of threatening deviations, the diabetic is informed immediately. Pulse data, blood pressure values or body temperature can also be automatically recorded and evaluated in order to be able to recognise an emergency situation.

All in all, the intelligent sensors take over part of the responsibility and offer security to manage everyday life alone and independently without the need for relatives to worry.

Costs for an intelligent emergency call system

The costs for such a system cannot be given as a lump sum, as they depend very much on which components and sensors are used. In the case of technically sophisticated equipment (e.g. the Sensfloor), the purchase price can quickly reach four figures; simpler devices such as fall sensors or motion or smoke detectors can be installed for considerably less money. In contrast to a classic home emergency call, intelligent emergency call systems are not recognised as care aids by the care insurance fund and must therefore be paid for entirely out of one's own pocket. Especially for future seniors who already enjoy the benefits of a smart home, an early focus on products from the AAL spectrum can be interesting.

Attention to data security

Data protection is an important issue, especially when it comes to sensitive data such as that collected with an intelligent emergency call system. When choosing a provider, you should therefore make sure that the data is stored on a server in Germany. In this country, data protection is comparatively strictly regulated and you can be sure that the valid laws for the protection of your data are applied.

Conclusion

An intelligent emergency call system is characterised by the fact that dangerous situations are independently recognised by an artificial intelligence and it then automatically notifies a defined contact person. For the detection of such a situation, the system works with a variety of different sensors that monitor either the living environment or the person to be cared for. This system belongs to the large family of AAL products, which are intended to make everyday life easier and support independence, especially for elderly people. Intelligent emergency call systems have a very wide price range, but can be installed with basic functions for an affordable sum. The costs are not covered by long-term care insurance.

For elderly people who live alone and want security through automated monitoring to maintain their independence.

No, the long-term care insurance only provides a lump sum for a simple home emergency call. Intelligent systems must be paid for by the insured person.

Depending on the sensors used, it is possible to define in advance exactly which situations must or must not occur in order to detect a hazardous situation. These settings can always be readjusted.

The contact details of the person(s) to be informed are stored in the app. As a rule, these are relatives, neighbours or care services.

The collected measurement data is stored encrypted in a cloud on a server for a reasonable period of time. It is best to make sure that the server is in Germany so that the data protection regulations applicable here are observed.

Please calculate 9 plus 3.

Sources & Notes

https://www.pflege.de/hilfsmittel/seniorennotruf/intelligente-notrufsysteme/
https://www.haus.de/smart-home/ambient-assisted-living-30037#a-13-aal-systeme-fuer-bewegungs-und-spracheingeschraenkte-sowie-blinde
http://www.aal-deutschland.de/

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