A GUIDE FOR ASSISTED LIVING Towards LifeHome 21 © Royal Institute of British Architects, 2011 This guide is one of the outcomes of the DAP Health Hub project, funded under the Technology Strategy Board’s Assisted Living Innovation Platform. The intellectual property and copyright are owned by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The right of the Royal Institute of British Architects to be identifed as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 Sections 77 and 78. First edition with minor revision Acknowledgements This work was part funded by The Technology Strategy Board. Contributions to the work were made by the following: BRE - Ranjit Bassi, Keith Quillin 3DReid Research - Paul Warner, David Maher RIBA - Keith Snook, Luis Belmonte Support and technical assistance was provided by an industry steering group including: Microsoft Cisco Centri Health Telemedic Hereward College F.A.S.T Bournemouth Council Willmott Dixon Sasie Advice as part of the document was provided by: HOIP ITSupport The Technology Strategy Board Additional assistance in setting up the guide has been provided by Stuart Wheeler and Joe Shaw at 3DReid. The guide is one of the outcomes of the DAP Health Hub project, funded under the Technology Strategy Board’s Assisted Living Innovation Platform. Preface Wired Up and water supply are today. The idea that people can support themselves longer by the assistance of technical devices is now reality. From simple self Assisted living technology today is implemented in hardware. care systems to tele-systems that help with disability or illness Full software radio, would allow for the development of extremely require different degrees of reliability in their performance fexible devices, whose capabilities can be updated in real criteria. time using over the air updates. Assisted living devices that are software rather than hardware based could be a radical Data is transmitted by both wired and wireless systems but departure for assisted living, but realistically are several years interoperability between appliances with proprietary wireless away. 2. systems is convenient and very likely to become more sophisticated in the future. Unfortunately wireless systems are This guide forms part of the Assisted Living research prone to interference and commonly do not transmit data as programme, ALIP 1. Brief details of this research are as follows. safely as wired systems. So today there is a necessary interface between systems that are wired and those that are wireless. Health Hub Project Mobile phones are now becoming information systems that will This ALIP1 project led by the DAP Consortium has delivered the in the future interface with the home in many more ways than is following signifcant outputs: possible today. Currently end to end connection is provided by a plethora of part wired and part wireless systems. The Vision A DVD Demonstrator Tool illustrating 6 user-based scenarios Interfaces and interoperability between systems and appliances showcasing the tangible, life enhancing benefts that are at the heart of this research and references to more detailed assisted living support services enabled by integrated digital information are included. Space standards, ergonomic data and communications can deliver for users, carers, their families and the consideration of how to support living at home whilst being friends. less able-bodied are also included in the guide. Design Principles Information is applicable to new build homes but there is in A strategic Framework and set of design principles to support the section fve an emphasis on the conversion of existing housing development of integrated user focused assisted living services stock into homes suitable for assisted living as this is seen as the enabled through the application of open access standards, bigger market. The diffculties with existing housing stocks are to provide anywhere, anytime, any medium scalable and usually borne out of material that could not possibly have been upgradable services. considered as a problem when they were built. Solutions such as the Faraday Cage effect that steel reinforcement in concrete Demonstration of integrated assisted living solutions structures provides. Interference from ducted water systems and An overview of the demonstration of a model of user focused the simple block in transmission from foil backed or metal mesh assisted living services based on digital integration. The plasterwork are common problems. demonstration has established the scope for seamless, scalable and upgradable real time connection between sensors, personal Each section in the handbook refers to more detailed guidance data records and communication to the user and health and from appropriate regulators or relevant bodies. social service professionals. In the foreseeable future the goal for assisted living is that all RIBA/BRE Design Guide essential equipment in the home is connected to a form of hub A unique design guide aimed at architects and other design that can receive and transmit information to assist people to live professionals on the appropriate design of new and refurbished at home whatever their health condition (apart from critical). homes to create a safe and comfortable internal environment for those living with long term chronic conditions and whose White goods and other home appliances and services will wellbeing and quality of life can be better supported by assisted become more and more intelligent. They will interoperate (see living solutions. defnitions below on interoperability and software systems), and know if they have been ‘left on’ too long. Fridges will know which Requirements for Large Scale Testing products need replacing. This information will be transmitted The defnition of a set of requirements that systems can be beyond the home to receivers anywhere. tested against in relation to design, manufacture and supply to market. Interoperability - where different application functions are able to use shared information in a consistent way. This requires Exploitation and future development – interworking as a building block as well as co-existence, and A set of strategies for technical and market development by adds business rules, processes and security provisions that partner organisations. enable applications to be joined together; e.g a home wireless security system being controlled and monitored remotely using Information on the DAP ALIP1 Project along with downloads of a seperate web application, sending alerts to the owners’ mobile the project outputs is available on the DAP website: phone or TV set. The beneft is that applications can interact with www.dapforum.org each other and create greater effciences by sharing resources across multiple systems. Interoperability should also lead to Please refer to the Acknowledgements for the DAP ALIP1 Project improved ease of use, better human factor capability, greater Partners. choice, international economies of scale and hence lower unit costs. 1. Digital connection will become increasingly important for health- care and other needs particularly for the elderly. Today in the UK So the benefts of being connected will range from pure 97% of households have a TV and the immediate solutions for convenience to the transmission of critical health data. digital inclusion utilise this friendly technology for the elderly to use. As a more technical literate generation get older they will Hub data and operation will be as important as electricity, gas 8 be more familiar with a partially virtual tele-care world and future equipment that goes with this world. Virtual health vaults will be commonplace and keeping records (both personal and professional), providing help and reminders by means of tele data/medicine/information will be normal activity. At the end of the guide there is the opportunity to record and update examples of newly fnished projects, future research proposals and new technical innovation. 1, 2. G. Worsley - Assisted living Innovation Platform - Standards, Interoperability and Broadband. 9 10