UK DRI Trials £2,000 Home Sensors for 250 Dementia Families as Cases Seen Rising 40% by 2040
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Sep 20
UK DRI Trials £2,000 Home Sensors for 250 Dementia Families as Cases Seen Rising 40% by 2040
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Sep 20
Summary
More than 250 families are taking part in an NHS-backed UK Dementia Research Institute trial that installs home sensors, smart beds and wearables to help dementia patients stay safe at home.
The system sends data to doctors and nurses, who track sleep, movement, eating, heart and breathing patterns to spot falls, infections or worsening frailty before they become crises.
Annual costs are expected at about £2,000 per patient, which researchers argue is less than a couple of weeks in a care home and could cut preventable hospital visits.
No devices record sound or video, but the project still raises privacy questions because it relies on continuous monitoring inside patients' homes.
NHS England is watching the trial closely as UK dementia cases approach 1 million and are projected to rise another 40% by 2040.