Intelligent care: EULE is revolutionizing the lives of older people!

Intelligent care: EULE is revolutionizing the lives of older people!

Many older people want to live in familiar surroundings. However, age-related challenges such as muscle loss, unsteady gait and declining physical performance increase the risk of falls and increase the need for care. Relatives are facing increasingly difficult conditions, while nursing services are suffering from an acute shortage of skilled workers. This is where the “EULE” innovation project comes in. The aim of this project is to develop an intelligent home monitoring system that will relieve the burden on both relatives and carers and promote the independence of older people dshs-koeln.de reported.

Numerous partners come together as part of EULE. These include the Institute for Movement Therapy and Movement-Oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation at the German Sport University Cologne, MediTECH Electronic GmbH, cibX GmbH and the Institute for Computer Science, Robotics and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The project is funded with around 714,000 euros from the Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The system is supported by sensors that continuously record movements, pulse, breathing and other vital parameters. In the event of noticeable changes or falls, an individual warning message is generated to enable timely help.

Technology-enabled support

EULE analyzes everyday movements and detects risks of falls and signs of illness. Great importance is placed on data protection by integrating camera and microphone-based technologies as well as AI analyzes in a data protection-compliant manner. While the German Sport University Cologne develops algorithms for recording movement parameters and fall predictors, MediTECH Electronic GmbH takes care of sensor-based methods for contactless recording of vital parameters. cibX GmbH is also contributing to the development of a voicebot that is intended to facilitate communication and check language changes. The project is supported by the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, which is working on implementing AI for data analysis, as well as dshs-koeln.de can be read.

But the challenges in fall prevention do not end with the development of new technologies. A comprehensive study by LINDERA and AOK Nordost on digital fall risk analysis has shown how important digital solutions are in care. This analysis, carried out over 22 months and in 15 facilities in Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, shows that the risk of falls was reduced by 11% within six months when analyzed twice. From the first to the third analysis, the risk reduction was even over 15%. The LINDERA mobility analysis app has proven to be an effective means of quickly and sustainably determining individual fall risk.

Digital competence and barriers

Digitalization in the healthcare system has the potential to significantly improve medical care for older people. Innovative approaches not only promise more effective prevention and high-quality medical care, but also sustainable support for the older population. However, there are challenges: many older people have limited digital knowledge and are often unsure about using digital health applications. The bmfsfj.de emphasizes that it is necessary to promote the usability of digital offerings and create an understanding of the advantages.

The specialist conference "Health on e-prescriptions? Understanding digitalization and strengthening skills", which took place in Berlin in May 2024, was dedicated to the design of e-health offers for people over 60 years of age. Parliamentary State Secretary Sven Lehmann emphasized the social importance of the self-determined use of these technologies. Currently, 70% of seniors regularly use the Internet, but only 20% can imagine having a digital consultation. This is where the DigitalPakt Alter comes in, which provides training and placement opportunities to promote digital skills and will create 300 experience locations by the end of 2025 to train older people in digital technologies.