Dr. Marge Skubic form the University of Missouri gave a skype presentation that was excellent in its simplicity.

She demonstrated simple, low cost hardware and software that when applied to a retirement village unit has resulted in extending their stays in the village by 1.7 years, based on 11 years’ experience at a 54 ILU village next to the university.
They use three types of sensor and a computer in each unit.
A one bedroom unit has 6 to 10 movement detectors installed along with one thermal image ‘depth’ monitor (to measure gait and film movement) and one bed monitor.
The software develops behaviour patterns and sends email alerts to the staff alerting to more time in bed (possible depression), unusual trips to the bathroom (UTIs) and slowing gait – body sway, length of pace, speed of walk (congestive heart condition) as examples. Early intervention can then be implemented.
All the equipment is ‘cheap’ and bought ‘off the shelf’.
Possible falls were also detected and better understood – why they occurred. Over 600 days 217 falls alerts were issued with 142 falls detected. 785 were false alarms. Better, the thermal imaging identified how the falls occurred. Often pets were blamed but then ruled out for instance. Risky behaviour was identified and modified.
The project is called ‘Squaring the Life Curve’ and can be found at www.eldertech.missouri.edu. Dr. Skubic can be emailed at skubicm@missouriedu