Hightech is intended to help dementia patients

Far more than a motion detector: high-tech for dementia patients

02/14/2015

Around one and a half million people in Germany suffer from dementia. A cure for the neurodegenerative disease is not in sight. Those affected need a lot of help from relatives and caregivers. But even high-tech can make their lives easier, as will be seen soon at the Cebit in Hanover.

Dementia patients should be able to live longer in their own apartment
With the help of high-tech, people with dementia should be able to live longer in their own homes in the future. According to the dpa news agency, the Chemnitz University of Technology intends to present a system based on so-called 3-D sensors at Cebit in Hanover (16 to 20 March 2015), which can locate patients in their homes and also remind them of certain things , According to the university, the system works without a picture and works without cameras.

Patient receives acoustic signal
Exactly this is the sticking point in technology for dementia patients so far, because images must be transmitted from the inside to a central, if an apartment is to be monitored from the outside. And with that you intervene in the privacy of those affected. According to dpa, the smart sensor network from Chemnitz is currently being tested in a university lab apartment. Researcher Julia Richter explained that the collected data would not have to leave the apartment. For example, if the homeowner sits in front of the TV for hours or does not use the bathroom in the morning, he will hear a beep.

Caregivers and relatives can be informed
In addition, the sensors can also serve to inform carers or relatives. „If the patient expressly requests image transmissions, this is also possible“, so judge. It is about capturing and analyzing all activities of daily life: „The sensor will tell you if people drink enough water, move, or follow their personal hygiene.“

Technology can not replace human contact
The German Alzheimer's Association advocates the development of technical assistance systems that help people with dementia to lead an independent life at home for as long as possible. „However, ethical issues have to be considered in the application and it must be clarified whether people also want such an aid“, explained Managing Director Sabine Jansen. Certainly, such systems could not replace human contact in every way.

Number of dementia patients in Germany will double
It is currently estimated that around 44 million people worldwide are affected by dementia. The tendency is rising. The demographic development is also leading to more and more patients in Germany, because the likelihood of dementia increases with age. Last year, the German Alzheimer's Association announced that around 1.5 million people in this country already suffer from dementia and that the number could increase to around three million by 2050. A cure for the neurodegenerative disease is not yet in sight despite repeated reports of supposedly breakthrough successes. However, studies suggest that an active lifestyle may help to delay the onset of dementia. (Ad)

Picture: Sigrid Rossmann