Technical development and clinical evaluation of intelligent continence management system at nursing home

Abstract

Urinary incontinence and diaper use is common among elderly people with dementia staying at nursing homes. Delays in timely diaper change will cause personal, social and economic ramifications to those elderly as well as to the carers who provide nursing care. In order to alleviate these daily care issues, an intelligent continence management system leveraging on sensors, pervasive sensor network, ambient intelligence and reminders is designed and developed. Clinical trial is conducted with multiple elderly people with dementia at a nursing home to evaluate the applicability and usefulness of the developed system. The analysis of trial outcomes and usability studies proves that this will be a feasible and effective approach to tackle the problems faced in managing incontinence effectively at nursing homes.