Rebooting retirement living

Robots and artificial intelligence, wearable technology and telehealth will help people stay in their homes for longer, says CoreLogic’s chief technology officer Greg Dickason.

Around 15 per cent of Australia’s population, or 3.8 million people, is currently aged 65 and over – and this is projected to more than double by 2057.

This ageing population presents many challenges, but technology is coming to the rescue.

“The 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,” Mr Dickason said.

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.

“AI will pick up that a person’s gait has slowed or that their temperature is elevated, for example, and will notify doctors who will then check in via video conferencing facilities,” Mr Dickason said.

AI “learns” normal patterns of behaviour at the individual and group-home level and can alert supervisors of any issues.

“Neutral systems powered by AI will eliminate elder abuse in aged care facilities.”

Technology will support physical activity and physiotherapy, with older people firing up the Xbox or Wii for exercise.

“We’ll see older people exercising together – not physically in the same room, but still together.”

All of these technologies will keep people in their homes for longer – but Mr Dickason said many advancements may be more than a decade away.

“What will come soon is IoT monitoring solutions, they are already here; but we’ll see more apps and smart watches that communicate with local WiFi.

“The big thing for me is integration, at the simple level. When Uncle Bill doesn’t turn the light on overnight, a system will raise an alert – we don’t need much extra technology for that.”

What can the retirement living industry do now to prepare for this brave new world?

“Sell the benefits of technology and of ageing with confidence”, he said.

“Technology will help people to stay independent, and we’ll be trading off a bit of privacy for a future where people enjoy a better quality of life for longer.”