Telemonitoring of Activities of Daily Living in Home Care Services of Older Adults with Cognitive Deficits

Overview

In Canada, it is estimated that two million people are users of publicly funded home care services, with more than half of them being 65 years and older. Although home care services are considered a priority by Canadian provinces, in Québec alone, more than 46 000 people were waiting for those services in 2022. The provision of home care services is hampered by limited funding and growing demand from among an aging population, among other factors. These challenges have led to urgent calls to better support home care in Canada to ensure optimal use of scarce human and financial resources. One of the key strategies to achieve optimal use of resources may be remote monitoring of activities of daily living (ADLs), a type of telehealth. ADL telemonitoring can remotely recognize ADLs such as preparing meals and moving around the home. Past studies have shown that ADL telemonitoring can help in better understanding older adults' home care needs, thereby allowing for more personalized ADL interventions. Previous projects have also allowed for the developement of NEARS-SAPA, a telemonitoring system for ADLs. In these past projects, it was identified how NEARS-SAPA was used by home care services and its ease of use was tested in real environments. In the present project, the benefits of ADL telemonitoring will be tested and its technological capabilities expanded, hence preparing the system for the next big step, i.e. large-scale adoption by home care services. Ultimately, ADL telemonitoring may help the healthcare system determine which service is more appropriate for which person and at what time, thereby optimizing interventions and resource management.

Conditions