This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 22, 2022 - August 28, 2022
Most seniors prefers to live independently as opposed to moving into assisted living facilities.
In order to make ageing in place more comfortable and safe, many innovative products and services have popped up over the years, taking into consideration safety concerns and the need for seniors to retain their independence.
These options now go beyond surveillance cameras, which were once the only way for primary caregivers to monitor their elderly charges.
Today, alternatives embedded with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to web-based and mobile apps have enabled a more holistic environment for the elderly.
1 Preventech Flo Emergency and Health Smart Band
Billed as Malaysia’s first senior emergency response smart band, the Flo Emergency and Health Smart Band by Preventech monitors vital signs such as the heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen. It also facilitates calls.
If the nondescript device — which is embedded with a real-time emergency monitoring and response system — detects an anomaly, the SOS function automatically triggers an alarm alerting the caregiver or the Preventech emergency response team.
The response team will then check in with the elderly person to confirm the situation and proceed to send help.
Preventech has a wide network of partners within Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang, including St John Ambulance of Malaysia and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.
If a senior has a fall while wearing the smart band, the device itself is programmed to automatically call for help. Users can also save up to three numbers for emergency calls on the smart band. If a user presses the SOS contact button positioned on the side of the device, the device will call contacts in a continuous cycle until one of the three picks up.
Users can choose between the Flo Emergency and Health Smart Band, or the Flo-Lux Emergency Smart Band that offers the same features but uses premium leather straps for a sleeker finish. Prices start from RM399.
2 HiPee Intelligent Pill Box
Taking supplements and medications on time and in accurate doses is crucial to maintaining one’s well-being.
A major upgrade from the transparent pillbox, smart pill dispensers such as the HiPee Intelligent Pill Box — which was crowdfunded on Xiaomi’s crowdfunding platform YouPin — lets users set reminders to notify them of the right time to take their medication.
All that is required of users is that they scan the barcode on the medication packaging to add to their routine. Additionally, the LED light built into the dispenser will flash for the patient to know a pill has to be taken.
Small but mighty, the smart pillbox is able to store up to 80 capsules, or four types of medications at a time. The HiPee Intelligent Pill Box is available from home appliances e-commerce website Aihome for RM129.
3 Google Nest Thermostat
A nifty device to save energy and stay comfortable, Google’s Nest Thermostat turns itself down when a user leaves his home, so that energy isn’t wasted on heating or cooling empty spaces.
It is adjustable remotely through the Google Home app and users can pre-set temperatures on the Thermostat according to a senior’s routine or whenever needed.
Although the Google Nest Thermostat is currently only available in the US and Canada, interested buyers from other regions including Malaysia can still purchase the device via e-commerce sites such as Amazon and Aihome. Malaysian users can download the Google Home app through Google Play for free.
4 Smartwatches
Watches have become more than a statement piece, evolving into life-changing and potentially life-saving wearables.
Smartwatches, specifically, have transformed from merely displaying weather information into fitness trackers, to providing medical alerts, fall detection, heart rate monitoring and a slew of other health and wellness metrics.
While there are several brands that produce smartwatches with vital signs monitoring, devices manufactured by Apple and Samsung have automatic fall detectors.
The Apple Watch and newer versions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch detect hard falls and automatically call for emergency response. These are particularly useful for older adults who often engage in recreational activities without their caregiver present or who live alone.
One of the most popular-use cases illustrating how a smartwatch saves lives was that of a cyclist in Hermosa Beach, California, who met with an accident while riding his electric bicycle and was knocked unconscious following a head injury. His Apple Watch alerted the authorities after he crashed his e-bike.
Both the Apple and Samsung watches are available via the respective brands’ official stores and authorised resellers.
5 YoLink Smart Home Starter Kit
In Malaysia, the number of older adults suffering from dementia, an incurable chronic degenerative condition, is expected to rise by 312% in less than 30 years.
The decline in mental ability often impacts memory enough to interfere with daily life — where the elderly may unintentionally leave doors and windows unlocked — and, in some instances, deteriorates into a progressive disease such as Alzheimer’s.
The YoLink Smart Home Starter Kit strives to prevent this from happening. The system is linked to a central hub that can support up to 20 YoLink devices installed around the house, which caregivers can manage remotely via the YoLink app to automatically lock doors and windows.
However, the kit doesn’t just detect unlocked doors; it is also able to detect things like water leaks. Once a leak is detected, caregivers will be alerted on their app and be able to turn the tap off before any sink starts to overflow and flood the house or cause any accidents.
The kit ships worldwide, including Malaysia, and may be purchased from YoLink’s website at US$59.59 (RM266).
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