Tech ‘vital’ for protecting elderly says data impresario
MELBOURNE: The embrace of tech is critical to improve the quality of life of the growing number of people who choose to live alone.
The nearly one million elderly Australians living on their own – and their families – should look to technology solutions to help cope with the COVID-19 epidemic according to Melbourne entrepreneur Adam Jahnke, the founder of health tech start-up Umps.
Mr Jahnke, who named Umps after his grandfather, told The Australian that the government’s decision to keep older Australians away from their loved ones presents unique challenges that can be tackled with smart home tech.
On March 13 the federal government released guidelines for aged care homes recommending they restrict entry to essential staff only, and family members do not visit the elderly unless necessary.
Mr Jahnke said these guidelines are currently being adapted for home care providers, who are now recommending smart home technology be put in place to complement their existing services.
“The aged care sector has gone into overdrive,” he said. “Some aged care homes are on lockdown at the moment, and family members are isolating themselves away from older people but they still want to remain connected and know that someone is looking out for them.”
Umps’ smart home solution is a plug that fits in between any appliance in the wall socket. The system picks up when the person using the device boils the kettle or opens the refrigerator, learning their typical behaviour over time. If no appliances are used or the behaviour is out of the ordinary, the Umps system sends a text message to a family member.
“Disrupted sleep for example or a decline in appetite are indications of infection in older people, so it’s important to catch that as soon as possible,” Mr Jahnke said. “We are also making the insights available to care providers looking to improve their remote capabilities, and reduce the need for face-to-face care.
“Over the last couple of weeks we have more requests for smart home setups than the entire last two years, it’s really gone ballistic. The requests have come from families, and older people themselves who are now coming to us directly and purchasing our system.
“I’ve never seen an up-take of our technology like this.”
He said Umps does not need a smartphone or an email address to set up, and that installation takes about 10 minutes.
“This is the most disruptive event that anyone alive today has experienced,” he said. “We’ve already seen a big shift towards people using digital tools to stay connected, and the aged care sector is no exception to that.
“We’re seeing a rapid adoption of technology, and with the rapid upskilling of the aged care workforce, we hope those skills will be brought into businesses post-COVID-19, and the infrastructure will be in place to support them. It will become a hi-tech, hi-touch aged care industry.”
