Smart technology supports Silver Heroes in Bree
ALF ‘Gerkenberg’ welcomes first smart lamps in Limburg
Bree, 19 July 2022 - Today, ALF ‘Gerkenberg’ turned on very symbolic lights today. Over the next few years, 20 smart Nobi lamps will support the care staff of the dementia ward by monitoring the well-being of the residents day and night. Thanks to the self-learning lamps, which have a fall detection function, the staff can provide immediate help after a fall. AI technology also helps to prevent accidents. On the one hand, the lamps contribute to even more focused care for the elderly, but they also relieve caregivers from repetitive tasks, giving them more time for tasks that really make a difference in the lives and happiness of the residents.
Quality of elderly care under pressure
In line with the rest of Flanders, the population of Limburg is also getting older every year. South and North Limburg have the most adults aged 65 or older. Tongeren leads with 23.4% and Houthalen-Helchteren has the lowest number with 19.1%. In Bree, just under 22% of the population is currently over 651. This trend will continue in the coming years, with ever-increasing pressure on elderly care if no action is taken today. After all, the happiness of more and more elderly people is placed in the hands of fewer and fewer caregivers with an ever-increasing workload. This is detrimental to the quality of elderly care.
1 https://www.vlaanderen.be/statistiek-vlaanderen/bevolking/bevolking-naar-leeftijd-en-geslacht
Gerkenberg, a pioneer in elderly care
The ageing population is forcing elderly care to reinvent itself. In the years to come, technologies like Nobi will play an increasingly important role in the happiness of caregivers, who can gradually be called Silver Heroes. Pioneers like the ‘Gerkenberg’ welfare campus are already setting the tone. Director Dirk Vroonen: “Happy employees mean happy residents. We take the well-being of our Silver Heroes very seriously. For the ‘Gerkenberg’ welfare campus, investing in smart technologies like Nobi is a conscious decision aimed at making work bearable and enjoyable for our staff.” But installing smart Nobi lamps is part of a broader approach. Dirk Vroonen: “In recent years, we opted for a staffing level that is 22% higher than the standard imposed by the government. In addition, we will open our renovated campus in September. This will be an innovative, fresh and pleasant environment to work and live in. We are concentrating on smaller, homier wards with fewer residents so caregivers can fully engage in a closer and more qualitative relationship with a smaller number of residents.”
Meaningful collaboration with Limburg success story ‘Essec’
In a rapidly ageing society, cooperation is crucial if we are to guarantee the right to quality care for the elderly. Think of collaboration between caregivers and technology, but also between technologies. Nobi wants to act as a central hub that brings together the power of different technologies. Examples include smart thermometers and scales that can be easily connected to the Nobi universe, eliminating the need for manual input and saving the valuable time of caregivers. The ‘Gerkenberg’ welfare campus is the first to make a link with Essec, the world-famous Limburg nursing call system known for, among other things, the red help button on the wall, care watches and care beacons that detect wandering residents. Together, they strive for even more targeted support for residents and their caregivers.
About Nobi, the smart lamp for seniors & caregivers
- 24/7 guardian angel, immediate assistance after a fall
Nobi is a smart lamp that offers a solution to one of the leading causes of death in older adults: falls. One in three people over 65 fall at least once a year. In assisted living facilities, 50% of residents fall at least once a year. 80% of residents in assisted living facilities fail to raise the alarm after a fall. 66% of all the older adults who fall are seriously injured. With the help of artificial intelligence, the Nobi lamp detects when a resident falls and ensures immediate assistance by caregivers. Speed is crucial: 50% of the elderly who lay on the floor for longer than one hour die within six months of the fall. The quicker people are helped, the more quality years of life can be saved. Nobi not only detects falls, it also prevents them. When older adults sit up in bed at night, Nobi switches on soft lighting. This helps prevent disorientation when waking up and a fall when getting out of bed.
- Guide in residents’ lives
Nobi is also a guide in residents’ lives. Nobi helps maintain people's day and night rhythms with the help of circadian light, among other things. This is an important task, especially for older adults who are beginning to show confused behaviour. Nobi's circadian light shines cold light during the day and warm light at night, thus helping to improve sleep, health and general well-being. In time, Nobi will also be able to measure loneliness and encourage family members to come and visit. This has a major impact on health and happiness. In time, Nobi’s artificial intelligence will also be able to detect changes in behaviour, such as when someone suddenly has difficulty walking.
- From busy caregivers to warm contacts
Nobi wants to relieve busy caregivers by taking over repetitive tasks. This frees up valuable time for tasks that really make a difference in the lives and happiness of older adults. Take, for example, Nobi’s integration with devices like smart scales or blood pressure monitors that provide additional insight into residents’ health and allow for the automatic input of the otherwise time-consuming manual input of measurement results. Nobi helps staff members so that they are no longer overtaken by events, gives them control again over the safety and well-being of residents, and will eventually help predict where things might go wrong with the health of residents, so that preventative action can be taken.
For more information and interviews
Liesbeth Pyck
Liesbeth@nobi.life
+32 499 34 01 95
About the ‘Gerkenberg’ welfare campus
Situated in the beautiful surroundings of Gerkenberg monastery's garden, the ‘Gerkenberg’ welfare campus offers functional and comfortable accommodations for older adults with various care needs. The campus consists of an assisted living facility, a day nursing centre, a short stay centre and service flats. 110 caregivers are on standby for some 104 residents. Individual care and a homely feeling are central.
About Nobi
The Belgian Age Tech company Nobi was founded in 2018 and believes that everyone deserves to grow old in a dignified, safe and happy manner. The star of Nobi is its AI-powered smart lamp, which watches over the safety of older adults. At its core: fall detection and fall prevention. Nobi’s smart lamps support older adults at home, and partner with care staff in assisted living facilities, health care centres and service flats. They contribute to even more targeted care for the elderly and relieve busy caregivers from repetitive tasks. This way, their limited time can be spent on those tasks that really make a difference to the lives and happiness of older adults. Nobi currently has about 30 employees and operates in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the UK and Canada. Nobi has an international advisory board with specialists in elderly care, medicine and smart home technology. Nobi was proclaimed ‘Most Promising Healthcare Innovation 2022’ by Flemish and Dutch healthcare professionals in February. Its product and design have also won several awards. Nobi won the Henry van de Velde 2021 award twice in the categories Business Innovation and Consumer, and it won a German Design Award.
