Remote health monitoring system for the elderly living alone

We have recently developed a health monitoring system for the elderly living alone. We monitored their in-house movements without restricting. We placed pyroelectric infrared sensors in each room of their houses so that monitoring will last longer easily. The secondary purpose of this system is to reduce anxiety of both the elderly and their family members living separately. Subjects of either sex were four in all and in their eighties. Continuous monitoring was performed for 40 months. We found that each one had his/her specific pattern of in-house movements. Therefore, we were able to estimate their health condition by checking the staying periods at specific rooms such as a lavatory or exercise comparing with the previous data statistically. If there is an abnormal result after analysis, we have to inform the family of the incident. Final decision should be made by his/her family, not by automatically relying on the computer software. After inquiring with the subject or his/her neighbours by telephone, family members may call an ambulance, if necessary.