Mobile follow-up system for elderly and disabled people

Abstract

This paper focuses on elderly and disabled people who live alone and run certain risks, such as frequently falling, entering dangerous places within the house (the second floor, the attic, the basement) or being unable to handle certain problems. Each person has particular needs which must be considered. It is even necessary to foresee that they may not face difficulties only in their houses, but also when they go shopping or for a walk. In such occasions, they may lose their sense of direction. Mobile technologies can provide solutions to these problems, generating a non-invasive control system which may be monitored by family members and friends. Using an app with such characteristics helps the person feel free and safe at the same time. This paper presents a mobile app prototype for planned care and follow-up of elderly or disabled people. The app uses the sensors in devices such as GPSs, accelerometers, barometers, etc, and enables a noninvasive control and follow-up system. The Android developed app can be easily installed on a wide variety of devices, and facilitate its portability towards android based wearable platforms such us Wear OS and Android Wear. This makes the use of this app more transparent, safer, and less invasive.