A lamp, designed by Nobi, a European provider of innovative technologies in elderly care, launches this week in the UK and Ireland. It is set to transform residential care settings’ ability to both prevent and detect falls which are the most significant cause of fatal injuries in the elderly.
The Nobi lamp offers a solution to a global problem. Around a third of people aged 65 and over, and around half of all people aged 80 and over, fall at least once a year. Offering help as quickly as possible is crucial and can be a lifesaver.
If a resident falls, the intelligent lamp detects this immediately and speaks to the resident, asking if they are okay. In the event of no response or a call for help, the intelligent lamp is pre-programmed to send a message – to either caregivers or family members.
In the event of an emergency, the emergency services are notified with the lamp having the ability to open the door for them.
There is also the ability to send an image to show where in the room the fall has occurred. The Nobi lamp can be pre-programmed in line with the resident’s wishes. They can choose whether or not to share an image should a fall occur and can also opt for the image to be converted to an abstract figure to ensure privacy.
Nobi also aims to help prevent falls. When a resident sits upright in bed at night Nobi will shine soft light upwards to gently illuminate the room and if the person then stands up to go to the bathroom, for example, the smart lamp will illuminate the entire room.
In time, the AI technology built into the Nobi smart lamp will also be able to predict certain falls; preventing even more incidents. Changes in walking pace, length of stride and even the person’s posture when sitting will be detected and can be used to alert caregivers of a potential risk.
Co-founder and CEO of Nobi Roeland Pelgrims said: “Falls are the most common cause of fatal injuries, and 50% of the elderly who lay on the floor for longer than one hour die within six months of the fall. Quick help after a fall is crucial and equals saving quality years of life.
“Nobi’s ability to communicate immediately with care providers or family members provides peace of mind.”
The Nobi smart lamp has been carefully designed to feel familiar in every interior and as such is unobtrusive and is easily installed with no need for new cables – only a Wifi connection is required.
Nobi aims to support care workers in residential care centres and assisted living facilities or hospitals so they can focus on their core task knowing that the lamp is watching over residents and patients and will alert them in case of a fall.
The lamp also takes repetitive administrative tasks off caregivers’ hands, freeing up time for duties that really make a difference.
For example, Nobi can be integrated with devices like smart scales and blood pressure monitors to automatically log health measurements and ensure this data is logged efficiently. Eventually it will help predict when things might go wrong so that preventative action can be taken.
UK distribution is being handled by Porters Care with the Irish market being handled by Medguard who have a demo room set up at their Ashbourne office in Co.Meath.
