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EIT Digital launches new innovation to support independent living for the elderly

EIT Digital has launched a new Innovation Activity* to support and prolong independent living for the elderly. Dubbed "ESSENCE" (Empowering Safer homes for SENiors through ConnEcted technologies) the work will be supported through the Digital Wellbeing Action line.

Led by Atos Spain, the work will incorporate Franco-Italian technology MentorAge™ by nively, and will aim to ensure ongoing social inclusion, predict dangerous situations and minimise risk for elderly communities.

"ESSENCE will have a sustainable impact in the Silver Economy", says Blanca Jordàn, Health Sector Manager at the Research and Innovation department of Atos Spain and team leader of the activity. ESSENCE will also help avoid potential future crises in the elderly care system due to pressures from demographic trends."

The main technologies to be used by the project will be MentorAge™ by nively, who have been part of the EIT Digital Accelerator for the past two years, and Raptorbox IoT Cloud solutions.

The aim of ESSENCE is to deliver a product for use in private homes and nursing homes, using multi-device connections to link the end user with medical helpdesks or other service providers and general practitioners, 24/7 while respecting privacy.

The technology will incorporate biosensors which will monitor daily activities in real time and prompt emergency calls or other action as required.

"Although we plan to have ESSENCE available in all key European markets, the first markets where our solution will be delivered will be France and Italy", adds Blanca Jordan.

Other partners in the project include: UNCAP, iCore with Atos, trilogis, nively, Fondazione Bruno KesslerTIM and Poste Italiane.

The Digital Wellbeing Action Line leverages digital technologies to help people stay healthy (prevention and early detection) or cope with an existing chronic condition. Both physical and mental wellbeing are considered. The solutions generally rely on enabling consumers to be well-informed about their wellbeing and to be able to use digital instrumentation to monitor and improve their quality of life, according to the motto "an ounce of prevention is worth at least a pound of cure".

The development and introduction of products (unobtrusive sensors and actuators and associated software services) targeted at occupational and private health and fitness are the approaches to tackling these challenges. The clear focus is on measures supporting prevention or secondary care for both physical and cognitive/mental impairments. Close cooperation between the diverse stakeholders and field trials are needed to ensure that solutions are feasible from a market perspective.

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