We were pleased to see Milbotix SmartSocks® featured in The Times this week as part of a national feature exploring how technology could help people living with dementia remain at home for longer.
The article, “How smart tech could let dementia patients live at home for longer”, focuses on research taking place at Imperial College London and the UK Dementia Research Institute’s Living Lab, where a range of technologies are being explored to support people living with dementia in their own homes.
The feature highlights the MinderCare trial, a two-year collaboration involving Imperial College London and the NHS that is investigating how networks of sensors installed in people’s homes can identify subtle changes in behaviour and wellbeing. These include changes in movement, sleep, daily routines and other indicators that may be difficult for carers to detect.
Within this wider research environment, SmartSocks® can provide a complementary source of physiological and movement data directly from the individual. While passive environmental sensors can help build a picture of what is happening around someone, wearable technology can provide additional insight into what is happening to the person themselves.
Combining these different sources of information could help researchers develop a more complete understanding of an individual’s wellbeing and identify changes that might otherwise go unnoticed. This has the potential to support earlier intervention and more person-centred approaches to dementia care.
The Times also highlighted the experiences of people living with dementia and their carers, including Bharat and Jyoti Patel, who are participating in the research and using a range of technologies designed to help support independence at home.
We are proud that SmartSocks® are being explored alongside other technologies within the Living Lab and grateful to our collaborators at Imperial College London and the UK Dementia Research Institute for their continued work to evaluate how technology can support people living with dementia and those who care for them.
We would also like to thank The Times for highlighting this important area of research and the people behind it.
Read the full feature in The Times: How smart tech could let dementia patients live at home for longer
A participant at Imperial College London’s Living Lab using SmartSocks®DISCOVERY during research.
