An elderly person enters a medical institution (such as a hospital or an assisted living facility) when he or she needs intensive care. Once hospitalised, this person might be allowed to move freely around the facilities, depending upon specific medical conditions. Much as at the day care centres, constant monitoring of the movement of the patients within the facility is not possible. And though most institutions provide physiotherapy sessions, they lack any methods for cognitive training.
LLM can be used in elderly clinics, providing a sensor network throughout the facility, with special rooms equipped for cognitive training exercises. The physical training equipment can be used in a fashion that is complementary to the normal physiotherapy sessions of the patients. The LLM service can also assist the hospital’s staff to know whether any of their patients has had an accident, enabling a quick response. For maximum effect, the clinic can have a specially trained neuropsychologist to evaluate each patient’s progress using the LLM service and provide further feedback in the form of personal interviews. Finally, patients can be encouraged by the hospital’s staff to use the physical training equipment, above and beyond their normal physiotherapy work, if their medical condition allows. Such complementary training can further increase the mobility skills and improve the physical well-being of the patients.
Taking into account that hospitalized persons suffer either from a cognitive and/or a physical problem, LLM can have a significant effect. Its cognitive training component can be used by every patient, excepting those with severe cognitive issues. The physical training equipment can be used by all physically able patients, thus improving their physical condition and sense of well-being. All patients can enjoy increased freedom of movement within the institution’s premises due to the presence of the monitoring system.