Explaining The Operation of A Home Care System

The world population is ageing, with the percentage of older people (over 65) gradually rising. In the UK, for example, this percentage was 24.4% in 2000 and is expected to be 39.2% by 2050 (Select Committee on Economic Affairs 2003). A similar situation applies in other developed countries, with much higher percentages forecast for some areas (e.g. 71.3% by 2050 in Japan). Clearly this will increase the demand for care of older people. Although people are living for longer, many have to deal with long-term, agerelated conditions. The growing percentage of older people, coupled with pressure on social and health care budgets, means that care providers will be increasingly challenged to cope. As a result, it will not be feasible to provide sufficient care homes (which are much more expensive than looking after someone in their own home). Technology to support home care delivery has been identified as part of the solution. Telecare (also called assisted living) refers to remote support of social care at home. This includes monitoring for undesirable situations (e.g. falls, flooding, night wandering) as well as services for the less able (e.g. curtain openers, door entry phones, home automation). Telehealth refers to remote support of health care at home. This includes remote consultation and diagnosis as well as monitoring health parameters (e.g. blood pressure, heart rate, seizure risk). There is a trend towards more integrated and holistic care. As an example, the Single Shared Assessment performed in Scotland allows social and health care needs to be evaluated (Scottish Executive 2001). As a result of a care assessment, technology-supported solutions for both may now be prescribed. There are also possibilities for commonality in facilities to support social and health care. The boundary between social and health care has thus become blurred, with changes in thinking about telecare and telehealth solutions. This can be seen, for example, in the shift away from purely telecare or telehealth towards independent living technologies and life-enhancing technologies. These are umbrella terms encompassing a blend of telecare, telehealth, and mainstream technologies that support wellbeing and health. Home care systems are computer-based systems that support delivery of care. Typically, some kind of home hub is provided to collect, analyse, react to, and forward care data collected from a variety of sensors or other input devices. Besides sensors for inputs, a home care system can use software services (e.g. for communication, speech input-output, or weather forecasts). A home care system is able to respond through a variety of actuators to control appliances, maintain the home environment, signal alert conditions, etc. More sophisticated systems have a degree of programmability, allowing customisation for individual user needs and adaptation to changing circumstances.