Technology such as wearables and cameras to monitor nursing home residents’/patients’ health and safety via biometrics and motion sensors to alert of safety hazards has been in the market for some time.
Producers, however, continue to launch new gadgets to make nursing home patient monitoring easier, with privacy top of mind. One of the latest is Cherish Serenity, a contactless AI sensing device unveiled with AT&T to help nursing homes and senior living communities monitor residents/patients across multiple rooms.
The device, which the companies claim is an “industry first,” is sleek and looks like a small speaker. It plugs into the wall and doesn’t require charging, unlike wearables such as Fitbits and smart watches. Through AI radar technology, it can detect biometrics, body movements, falls and other safety risks through sensors, without the use of cameras.
The company’s market appeal is obvious. Falls cost the US health system $50 billion a year. By 2030, there will be 72 million older adults experiencing a combined 52 million falls each year at a cost of $101 billion annually, according to SafelyYou’s 2022 State of Falls report.
The device can monitor residents/patients across multiple rooms, and through walls. It can be connected to the First Net responder network, and will be available in the market by the end of the year, company officials said.
A mix of safety and privacy
New technologies largely aim to keep both resident/patient safety and privacy in mind.
“The Cherish Serenity platform … enables a whole new class of in-home safety and health monitoring capabilities, all without compromising people’s privacy and dignity, and without requiring any change in how they live,” said Cherish’s founder, chairman, and CEO, Sumit Nagpal, in a statement.
Ethical considerations in adult monitoring technology are often lacking. A March study in BMC Medical Ethics recommended that principles of biomedical ethics — autonomy, justice, privacy and responsibility — need to be respected by both healthcare professionals and technology developers.
With “privacy and dignity” a goal, Cherish’s CEO said they are keeping the ethical concerns in mind with this new product.
