Loading...
Hackathon 24 - Hamburg

Team 11 – Case 2 – Safety at home for elderly people

Introduction

  • Group 11 (IT3K)
  • Marie-Luise Wolff (Scrum Master)
  • Vahan Telunz (Design Thinker)
  • Paula Schacht (Team Leader)
  • Jonah Lüdemann (Project Owner)

We are the Jovamapa GmbH and we specialize in Smart home innovations. To keep pace with the rapid innovations in recent years, we have assembled the brightest minds at our company. Our team cohesion is of utmost importance and helps us stay at the forefront of technological revolution.

We are passionate about making smart home technology accessible and enjoyable for everyone, especially seniors. As a team of dedicated innovators, we’ve assembled a diverse group of experts to develop user-friendly solutions that empower older adults to embrace the digital age.

Our mission is to create a world where all grandparents can feel connected and independent. We understand that navigating new technologies can be challenging, especially for those who didn’t grow up with them. That’s why we strive to design products that are both intuitive and stylish.

With a focus on senior care, we aim to improve the quality of life for older individuals by offering smart solutions that enhance their daily routines and promote a sense of well-being. Our dream is to see homes that enable a long and fulfilling life, free from the limitations of age.


“There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them”

Fernando Sabino

In these recent years, the use of technology has become more prevalent and advanced than ever. As technological frontrunners, we have been taking our dutiful part in this, by coming up with Smart home solutions for people with special needs.

We have observed that Smart home solutions are the field in which most people will see immediate results in technological advancements, hence our enthusiasm for this area. We want people to see the benefits of modern technology, instead of the constant fear mongering. With the offloading of boring and repetitive tasks, people will have more time and freedom to socialize with friends and family. 


Problem Definition (5Ws):

Who is affected?Elderly individuals who live by themselves and may not have immediate access to help or support from family members, caregivers, or neighbors.
What is the problem?When elderly individuals experience a fall, it can go unnoticed for an extended period, leaving them vulnerable to serious injury or further complications.
When is it a problem?When the individual is alone at home, unable to call for help, or when they are incapacitated and cannot reach out to others.
Where does it happen?These incidents typically occur in the home, a space where the elderly may spend most of their time alone, increasing the likelihood of falls happening without anyone being there to assist them immediately.
Why does it matter?It is critical because when elderly people fall and no one is around to notice or respond, there is a significant delay in getting medical assistance, which can lead to worsened injuries, prolonged recovery times, and even life-threatening situations in extreme cases.

Defining Core Issues (Problem Tree):

  • Core Issue: Undetected/late discovered falls
  • Causes: People getting older, Late response from care/emergency services, Living alone/No around the clock care
  • Effects: Higher chances of injuries, Getting sent to retirement homes early, Fear/Frustration amongst elderly people

What is our group?



Empathy map (Ralf Müller):

  • Says: “Having full control of my life is the best feeling ever!”
  • Does: Spending time persuing hobbies outside.
  • Feels: Values ability to live on his own terms.
  • Thinks: Worries about his independence.
  • Hears: Conversations about aging.
  • Sees: Notices, that friends are getting older and need care.
  • Goals: Staying indepencent as long as possible.
  • Pains: Losing control of his life.

Empathy map (Nadja Lind):

  • Says: “My family is the most important thing in the world for me.”
  • Does: Spending time with her family.
  • Feels: Love and harmony in her circle.
  • Thinks: The world is speeding up, while she gets slower and slower.
  • Hears: Family being worried about another accident.
  • Sees: Technologies getting far to complicated.
  • Goals: Living independently for as long as possible.
  • Pains: Fear of unrecognized accidents.

Our project

At a young age, a fall is not our greatest fear. Normally, we fall down and then get up again. From a certain age, a simple fall can take life in an unexpected direction. Injuries have more serious consequences and recovery is a long and painful process. If you have an environment that supports you along the way, you can certainly get through this process. However, it is no secret that loneliness is not uncommon in old age. So what if I fall and nobody finds me for a long time? My recovery gets longer with every moment that passes and my neighbors could help if only they knew about my accident. We have come up with a solution based on support and information. In a rural area, hospitals and nurses are often further away, but there may be someone living in the house next door who could provide first aid. We want to make the communication line more efficient and have developed a product that can take away this worry. Instead of directly alerting the emergency services with a conventional fall sensor, our sensor first alerts a number of registered helpers. These can easily be added via a link. In the event of a fall, there is no touch function to understand first. We have a button on the elegant sensor that simply controls the severity of the fall and the resulting calls for help.

Bracelet for fall detection

Our solution:

There are currently solutions for health tracking and automatic notification of emergency services, alas in some cases, a fall detection can simply be triggered by dropping the device.

To reduce the strain on medical services our solution tries to reduce false alarms regarding emergencies. 

Our device works by first notifying the family / neighbors / people in close proximity, after a fall is detected. The notification can be canceled by the user, if it was not an emergency that required assistance. If a trusted person does not respond to the notification either, the emergency services get notified.

With our solution we are trying to reduce the strain on emergency response services, while improving the health outcomes for our users, since for medical emergencies, the sooner the response, the better the outcome. 


If you are interested in our project and our solution, please check out our GitHub!

There you will find all information about our:

  • Project
  • Code
  • Personas
  • Business canvas modell
  • Diagrams
  • etc.