A six-month trial of sensor-equipped clothing has examined how continuous monitoring could help care teams identify changes in the health and wellbeing of older Australians with cognitive decline living at home.
The trial of Goldilocks smart clothing involved 50 participants wearing a sensor-equipped singlet for six months, alongside more than 50 interviews with seniors and their families in regional NSW and more than 20 interviews with primary care providers.
Funded through the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network’s (PHN) Game Changer Technology Grants program, the project brought together Goldilocks Suit, Dementia Support Australia, HammondCare and Adelaide University.
The technology uses sensors integrated into everyday clothing to continuously collect information on mobility, sleep, respiration, temperature and daily habits, providing care teams with information between scheduled appointments and home visits.
The research identified potential benefits for care planning, coordination and prioritisation of in-person visits, as well as providing families and carers with greater visibility of changes in wellbeing.
PHN executive manager digital health and technology Melissa Pollard said the technology was intended to complement existing care arrangements.
“The future of home aged care will not be defined by technology, but by giving humans the data they need to deliver better care, earlier.”
The trial also examined whether integrating sensors into familiar clothing could overcome some of the challenges associated with wearable devices such as watches and pendants, particularly for people with dementia.
Earlier Goldilocks research found 80 per cent of participants wore the singlet for at least 75 per cent of the trial period, while carers indicated seniors would be more likely to use technology that had little impact on their daily routines.
The PHN-funded project formed part of a broader Goldilocks research program involving three trials and more than 130 participants.
Across the program, researchers collected more than 83 million data points covering 13 biometrics, examining technical performance, usability, adoption and how continuous monitoring could be incorporated into existing care models.
Health-economic modelling by Adelaide University estimated potential annual savings of approximately $3.4 million for a home-care population of 5000 seniors.
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