Project HealthDesign: dwellSense - Using Sensor Data From Elders' Daily Activities to Augment Personal Health Records, 2011-2012

It is often hard to detect subtle changes in everyday activities that could indicate the onset of dementia or physical decline in adults who live alone. The dwellSense team developed new technologies to monitor the routines of older adults who are at risk for cognitive decline. In-home sensors monitored three routine tasks: taking medication, making phone calls and preparing coffee. The sensor data was then used by key stakeholders, including participants, caregivers, and clinicians, to detect and better understand the individual's changing cognitive and physical abilities. By identifying decline at an early stage, caregivers have a chance to halt or even reverse deterioration that might otherwise result in an unsafe living situation or a transition to long-term care. This data collection comprises the sensor data collected from the elders who participated in the dwellSense study.