Technical Approaches to Unobtrusive Geriatric Assessments in Domestic Environments
Thomas Frenken, Olaf Wilken, Andreas Hein · 2010
Two novel approaches to implementing unobtrusive and and non- stigmatizing geriatric assessments in domestic environments are presented. Mobil- ity regarding self-selected gait velocity is assessed using light barriers and a two dimensional laser range scanner. A single power sensor installed into the fuse box helps determining self-care ability by detecting appliance usage. The described as- sessment approaches are meant to enable early detection of disabilities and thus prevention and provision of individual support directly in peoples' homes. They overcome the disadvantages of classical geriatric assessments. The technical as- sessments contribute to the concept of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) which tar- gets at fostering a self-determined lifestyle in peoples' personal homes by provid- ing a technical infrastructure and supporting services. The assessments do not re- quire any direct interaction with the inhabitants. Two experiments conducted in a living lab and a residential care facility in Oldenburg, Germany demonstrate the general feasibility of the approaches.