ROBOTS and artificial intelligence, wearable technology and telehealth will help people stay in their homes for longer, says
\nCoreLogic\u2019s chief technology officer Greg Dickason, what can the property industry do to prepare?<\/p>\n
Around 15 per cent of Australia\u2019s population, or 3.8 million people, is currently aged 65 and over \u2013 and this is projected to more than double by 2057.<\/p>\n
This ageing population presents many challenges, but technology is coming to the rescue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and connected cloud infrastructure will come together to provide e-health, telehealth and monitoring that helps people stay active and in their homes for longer,\u201d said Dickason, who is heading to Canberra in November for the National Retirement Living Summit.<\/p>\n
Expect real-time monitoring to accelerate rapidly in independent living units, as wearable devices keep tabs on heart rates, intelligent toilets test sugar levels and cameras connected to AI algorithms watch for warning signs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAI will pick up that a person\u2019s gait has slowed or that their temperature is elevated, for example, and will notify doctors who will then check in via video conferencing facilities,\u201d Dickason explains.<\/p>\n
AI \u201clearns\u201d normal patterns of behaviour at the individual and grouphome level and can alert supervisors of any issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeutral systems powered by AI will eliminate elder abuse in aged care facilities,\u201d Dickason adds.<\/p>\n
Technology will support physical activity and physiotherapy, with older people firing up the Xbox or Wii for exercise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll see older people exercising together \u2013 not physically in the same room, but still together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRobots will be used as companions and to ease the caring load, Japan is already using robotic pets to provide emotional care to elderly citizens and the Japanese government is currently funding the development of elder care robots to fill the projected shortfall of 380,000 specialised workers by 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cCurrently, though, robots \u201caren\u2019t about help, but about companionship,\u201d Dickason says.<\/p>\n
All of these technologies will keep people in their homes for longer \u2013 but Dickason says many advancements may be more than a decade away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat will come soon is IoT monitoring solutions, they are already here, but we\u2019ll see more apps and smart watches that communicate with local WiFi.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big thing for me is integration, at the simple level, when Uncle Bill doesn\u2019t turn the light on over night a system will raise an alert, we don\u2019t need much extra technology for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
A fully-integrated real-time monitoring service will require better broadband, upgraded camera systems and more sophisticated AI-enabled image recognition.<\/p>\n
But \u201cas the Googles and Amazons roll out facial image recognition, the ability to monitor people in their homes is not that far off\u201d.<\/p>\n
What would George Orwell make of this? Does this take Big Brother to an alarming new level?<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are already half a million CCTV cameras in London, the average Londoner is captured by CCTV around 200 times a day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think AI brings with it a level of comfort because there isn\u2019t a human watching, and the upside is independence.\u201d<\/p>\n
What can the retirement living industry do now to prepare for this brave new world?<\/p>\n
\u201cSell the benefits of technology and of ageing with confidence\u201d, Dickason says.<\/p>\n
\u201cTechnology will help people to stay independent and we\u2019ll be trading off a bit of privacy for a future where people enjoy a better quality of life for longer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ROBOTS and artificial intelligence, wearable technology and telehealth will help people stay in their homes for longer, says CoreLogic\u2019s chief technology officer Greg Dickason, what can the property industry do to prepare? Around 15 per cent of Australia\u2019s population, or 3.8 million people, is currently aged 65 and over \u2013 and this is projected to […]<\/p>\n