IBM and the Avamere Family of Companies are joining forces in a research project to help caregivers improve eldercare at senior living and health centers.
The project will involve the placement of sensors in the facilities, for researchers to monitor patients for movement, air quality, gait analysis, factors that could lead to fall risk, and daily activities, including personal hygiene, sleeping patterns, incontinence, and trips to the bathroom.
IBM will then leverage its cognitive computing to analyze the streaming sensor data and help Avamere create and maintain a contextual understanding of its residents.
From this data analysis, Avamere aims to gain insights into physical and environmental conditions, and obtain a deeper understanding of the factors that affect 30-day hospital readmission rates in patients and gain insights into ways to help reduce them, according to a media release from IBM Corporation.
“By combining IBM’s expertise in Cognitive Eldercare with Avamere’s intimate knowledge of patients in the post-acute setting, we can gain insights that may help transform the way individuals age in place,” says Dr Ruoyi Zhou, director of accessibility research at IBM. “Helping Avamere uncover new insights can help family members, caregivers, nurses and physicians identify potential risks and better prescribe care to minimize hospital readmission.”
“Smarter care management and creative population health solutions are necessary to meet the ever-evolving needs of our seniors,” states Avamere Family of Companies CEO John W. Morgan, in the release. “Collaborating with IBM Research for this project is the next step in how Avamere will deliver patient-centered quality care and outcomes through smart senior living settings.”
[Source(s): IBM Corporation, PR Newswire]
