Empowering Solo Living: The Role of IoT in Assisted Independence

Eleanor Hecks – November 22, 2024

Collected at: https://www.iotforall.com/empowering-solo-living-the-role-of-iot-in-assisted-independence

Estimates suggest more than one billion people have significant disabilities. Anyone could be just seconds away from an accident that results in a permanent or temporary disability. More broadly, most people experience bodily changes as they age, making it difficult or impossible to do the same activities they did when they were younger. Getting older can change a person’s vision, balance, cognition, or other faculties, resulting in disabilities that occur due to aging. 

The extent of the associated impacts can make it more challenging for people to keep living safely and independently at home. Understandably, many individuals want to remain in familiar environments for as long as possible before considering transferring to assisted living facilities or similar arrangements. The Internet of Things can make that possible through IoT-assisted independence.

Supporting Medication Management 

Taking the appropriate medications at the correct times can ease physical pain, make chronic symptoms less severe, and reduce a person’s likelihood of having health emergencies at home. However, many people forget to take their pills and tablets, and that issue can become more problematic with age. 

Many IoT-assisted independence products are specifically designed to keep people on the right schedule and help them adhere to the medication instructions given by their medical professionals. For example, one option recently developed by researchers can also detect whether people have taken their medicines. It sends relevant information to care teams or other designated individuals for intervention when necessary. 

However, since forgetting to take one’s medicine can also be an honest mistake rather than a sign of someone having trouble taking care of themselves, this IoT solution can also send reminders to the person who needs to stay on the medication regimen. Those prompts may be all they need to get back on track. 

Getting People More Efficient Help in Emergencies

An essential part of making IoT-assisted independence practical involves ensuring that distressed parties can receive prompt help when necessary. Some relevant improvements relate to smart cities, as authorities spend more than $679 billion annually on associated technologies. 

Researchers have explored options such as putting sensors on traffic controls so the infrastructure could detect oncoming ambulances and changes so those vehicles never get held up at red lights. Other investigations have centered on having patient-monitoring technologies inside ambulances. Then, they can send real-time data about the people inside, helping those at hospitals prepare for their arrival. 

Additionally, many IoT products allow people to talk to their loved ones or caregivers. Such features are great for just checking in, but they can also make it easier for people to get help if they have fallen, feel ill, or otherwise need urgent help. 

Enabling Better Connectivity and Monitoring

Many adults wish to move out of their parent’s home as soon as possible to gain independence. In fact, the median age at which most millennials left home was 19 years old, and 90% lived independently by age 27. However, for individuals needing more support, living independently could be a dream they don’t expect to achieve or something that takes significantly more consideration.

Fortunately, IoT devices can make those difficult decisions easier to reach. That is because IoT-assisted independence makes it easier for people who decide to live independently to maintain links with their family members, doctors, and other relevant parties. Then, although someone is living by themselves and retaining their independence, staying in touch with others is much easier, virtually eliminating the risk of becoming isolated.

Many IoT products are also packed with features, yet streamlined, making them easy to fit into everyday life. One example is a smartwatch with capabilities such as fall detection and a pedometer. People can also use the device to speed-dial specific contacts or press a button for emergency assistance. Moreover, there is a geofencing feature and a non-movement alarm. Those could tell designated loved ones if someone has left the home at an unusual hour or has potentially become injured and unable to move. 

Providing Daily Companionship and Assistance

Once people decide to keep living at home, they must determine whether it is necessary to have someone regularly visit to help them with specific tasks, if they will contact someone nearby to get help occasionally, or if similar arrangements are more suitable. Even if a professional caregiver comes daily, an IoT device could fill in the gaps and assist with things that are not impossible for the person to do themselves, but perhaps difficult. 

One example is a robot that can assist with household tasks, such as setting the table and pouring water. The machine has two arms with grippers and a mobile base. Its creators demonstrated that their innovation works well for at-home use, whether alone or in conjunction with other supportive systems. 

Additionally, if a person just wants something to keep their mind occupied when they start feeling bored or lonely, a smart speaker could give them trivia tidbits or engage them in simple games. Since the amount of ongoing support a person needs is highly individualized, the affected parties need to discuss this matter with their care teams to have the best chance of reaching a confident decision. 

Equipping People to Enjoy Safe Independence

Whether people have lived with lifelong disabilities or have seen their capabilities change as they get older, most individuals will have to evaluate their circumstances and consider whether it is still safe for them to live independently at home. If they decide it is, IoT-assisted independence can be instrumental in supporting fulfilling, active lives where people continue to feel in control of their choices and decisions.