Expanding Tele-care: Using Motion Sensors for Monitoring Purposes

With an increasing elderly population in the UK, combined with a growing number of individuals living alone, providing care and support for elderly with health problems or disabilities is a growing concern. Traditionally, care and support has been provided in clinics/day centres that could be attended by such individuals, or where necessary, health/social services staff could visit them in their homes. In order to enable more independent living for elderly individuals with health problems or disabilities and enhance the utilisation of the British National Health Service (NHS) and social services resources, this paper outlines how the use of home based motion sensors and Internet based software can be used to monitor and support such individuals.