![]() ![]() There is a need for solutions that empower the family to provide the care needed by the elders. ![]() Involvement of the family in caring for the elderly will be necessary to support the demographic reality by the middle of the XXI century, even when those family members do not live in the same house or even in the same city as the elder. Installation and use of the system without the support of engineers and/or health professionals is not viable due to its complexity. Moreover, several visits to the patient’s home to explain how the system works and to troubleshoot problems are generally required. The installation is a complex task performed by qualified engineers that involves installing and configuring hardware for patient monitoring, the set-up of virtual private networks for sending data to hospitals, and the installation of effectors to help the patient perform some tasks. Most AL initiatives are based on a top-down approach: the state through its public health system or some private health care organization deploy the new technologies in elderly patients’ homes, and health professionals are responsible for checking up on the patient. Ī key factor in this change is the development of Assisted Living (AL) technologies that allow the elderly to live independently as long as possible, but without decreasing their quality of life. It is clear that the current model of health care, of welfare state, and of society in general, will have to adapt to the new circumstances. Most developed countries are in a similar situation. In 2050, each working age citizen will have to support one non-working age citizen. In Spain, for instance, just ten years ago there were two working-age citizens for every non-working-age citizen. In the medium term horizon, an untenable situation has clearly appeared. Population aging and the growing stress it places on national health systems are a major challenge in a growing number of countries. ![]()
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