Tyree IHealthE is happy to be a part of the 10 Australian innovation companies, five NSW universities, and three NSW Local Health Districts, pioneering an initiative to leverage sensors and robots in the homes of the aging population. This project, led by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures in partnership with the NSW Smart Sensing Network and the University of Newcastle's FASTLab, aims to understand older Australians, caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals' perspectives on technology's role in supporting the elderly who wish to age in place.
As Australia's senior demographic rapidly expands, with over 1.3 million people using aged care services in 2019-2020, the demand for such services is set to surge. The Healthy@Home (H@H) initiative, strives to harness technology to bolster seniors' sense of identity and independence in their homes. The project seeks to enhance their quality of life without overburdening an already stretched home-care workforce. Challenges to widespread technology adoption among older individuals include issues with technology design, ease of use, concerns about data privacy, and potential security breaches.
With funding of $168,000 from the SPHERE Seed Funding Grant Scheme and additional industry support totalling $221,990, the project intends to influence academic, industry, and government initiatives, potentially leading to real-world trials of aging-in-place technology.