An extended PROSAFE platform for elderly monitoring at home

In 1995, the first principles of a monitoring system based on a study of behavioural differences compared to normal living habits were put forward. These gave rise to the launch of a PROSAFE programme involving the use of distributed presence sensors and diagnostic components based on movement criteria. The approach was validated in a hospital and institutional environment, in a room being monitored at night. Here the authors discuss the possibility of extending the concept to a "wired-up" apartment monitored day and night and a multifunctional platform (agitation, fall, wandering, location, videoconference, monitoring of medical parameters). Initial experimental results show that noise increased, which meant that data had to be split in geographical and time terms to achieve an acceptable level of security and a system modelling had to be developed to cope with the complexity of designing and using multifunctional systems.