An integrated senior care facility in Singapore is using video technology from Milestone Systems to monitor at-risk elderly residents in a discreet, non-invasive manner.
MILESTONE SOFTWARE
INTEGRATIONS
The Integrated Dementia Assisted Living (IDEAL) facility in the Kebun Baru district of Singapore began operations in March 2021 in a Housing Board unit. It caters to vulnerable elderly who live alone in the constituency, providing free daytime care to this clientele.
In 2020, falls accounted for 40 percent of injury-related deaths in Singapore, with one in three community-dwelling elderly aged 65 years and older having experienced at least one fall within a year.
The facility installed several cameras and sound sensors that monitor the elderly, while using privacy-masking features to ensure that their personal data is respected. The system also takes advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) and sound analytics software for detecting falls and distress.
The video feed is monitored by the volunteer caregivers from Kebun Baru Community Club. They can respond when the system triggers an alarm about a fall or distress that is detected, which eliminates the risks of possible human error. The caregivers can then provide medical assistance or notify the appropriate emergency services, if necessary.
The technology is from the video management software (VMS) provider Milestone Systems, which is integrated with analytics from Senturian Solutions and supported by the Alzheimer's Disease Association. D-RON Singapore achieved the installation.
The video management system uses silhouettes instead of actual detailed images of persons, to ensure privacy-sensitive compliance and absolute personal data protection.
Residents are already required to complete a Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) form to allow hospitals to release relevant medical information that will facilitate care for them.
The use of the video technology is part of the efforts to tackle and manage an ageing population. The Centre for Ageing Research and Education projects that 83,000 elderly people will be living alone in Singapore by 2030.
