Development of a bed-centered telehealth system based on a motion-sensing mattress

Abstract Purpose Given the rapid increase in the aging population and the decline in birth rate, there is a growing demand for telehealth services. For older adults who are living at home or in nursing homes, the bed is an integral part of their daily lives. Telemonitoring of physical activities in bed can provide valuable information of the status of an older adult. This paper presents a Bed-Centered Telehealth System (BCTS), which uses the bed as the center of health data collection for telehealth systems implemented in homes and nursing homes. Methods The core sensor of the BCTS is a soft motion-sensing mattress, WhizPAD, which collects signals of physical activities in bed that can be classified into events such as on/off bed, sleep posture, movement counts, and respiration rate. Results Integrated with information and communication systems, caregivers can maintain awareness of older adults' daily activities and needs by using their mobile devices to access the BCTS for real-time monitoring and historical data record of bed-related activities, as well as receiving service reminders and alerts for abnormal events. Scenarios of using the BCTS in the homes and nursing homes are described. Conclusion The design concept of BCTS is to integrate telehealth functions into something that already exists in the home, namely the bed. Future extensions of the BCTS to include other telemonitoring functions are discussed.