CSIRO solution creates smarter, safer homes for independent seniors

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has developed a new health monitoring solution that will enable older Australians living independently at home to send real-time data to their healthcare providers.

Licensed to Australian company HSC Technology Group, CSIRO’s Smarter Safer Homes technology is a sensor-based in-home monitoring system that will be integrated into HSC Technology Group’s TALIUS Smart Analytics platform, servicing the aged-care and supported-living sectors.

CSIRO Health Services Group leader Dr Mohan Karunanithi said technology can support greater quality and provide more informed continuity of care for citizens who choose to live independently, keeping their families updated remotely, while also providing 24/7 healthcare information to medical care teams and clinicians.

“Australians are choosing to live longer in their own homes. However, as we age, or as a result of [a] chronic condition, daily tasks can become increasingly difficult, putting our health and safety at risk,” Dr Karunanithi said.

“Numerous trials of our Smarter Safer Homes platform across Australia have shown technology-enabled systems and smart sensors can deliver a high-quality, in-home care model suitable for independent living and reducing these risks.”

The CSIRO Smarter Safer Homes Objective Activities of Daily Living algorithm will be one of the foundational technologies of the HSC TALIUS platform, turning collated sensor data into measures of an individual’s daily life activities such as meal preparation, mobility, hygiene and grooming. This information will offer users a secure way to self-manage at home, while simultaneously sharing medical information with healthcare providers and family members via a smartphone app and web portal.

Healthcare providers will be able to use the data to detect and assess changes to treatments or care support, intervene early if an emergency is predicted and create accurate reports for transparency and accountability.

HSC Technology Group Managing Director Graham Russell said CSIRO’s advanced technology is essential to providing accurate information for real-time care.

“Our mission is to help the sector shift from reactive to proactive care for those who need it. Our end-to-end technology solutions offer clients privacy but transparency and comfort to loved ones and healthcare providers with 24/7 access to information,” he said.

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