A Solution for the Remote Care of Frail Elderly Individuals via Exergames

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) solutions are a concrete answer to many needs in the healthcare framework since they enable remote support for patients and foster continuity of care. Currently, frail elderly people are among end users who most need and would benefit from IoT solutions from both a social and a healthcare point of view. Indeed, IoT technologies can provide a set of services to monitor the healthcare of the elderly or support them in order to reduce the risk of injuries, and preserve their motor and cognitive abilities. The main feature of IoT solutions for the elderly population is ease of use. Indeed, to fully exploit the potential of an IoT solution, patients should be able to autonomously deal with it. The remote-monitoring validation engineering system (ReMoVES) described here is an IoT solution that caters to the specific needs of frail elderly individuals. Its architecture was designed for use at rehabilitation centers and at patients’ homes. The system is user-friendly and comfortably usable by persons who are not familiar with technology. In addition, exergames enhance patient engagement in order to curb therapy abandonment. Along with the technical presentation of the solution, a real-life scenario application is described referring to sit-to-stand activity.

Keywords

• exergames
• IoT solution
• elder care
• telerehabilitation