The SafeWander wearable sensor system has recently completed its successful 6-month trial at Urinokie, a senior assisted living facility in Chiba, Japan. SafeWander sensors were used for 24/7 continuous monitoring of 6 to 10 residents, as indoor geolocation beacons as well as bed/chair exit alarms. The trial concluded that
(1) The SafeWander sensors were far more reliable than the traditional bed pad alarms in detecting and alerting bed- and chair-exits. SafeWander not only helped to prevent falls and wandering incidents, but also reduced the stress on the caregivers, particularly at night;
(2) The unique real-time location information of each resident provided by the SafeWander system, for the first time, enabled the facility to ensure resident safety and improve its operations:
(3) The SafeWander system costs only 20% of the conventional wired bed alarm system.
The SafeWander-Based System received the “Chiba Innovative” Award for “Use of Sensor Technology to IoT the Entire Space of Senior Care Facilities”.