Staying connected without losing independence.

Referred to in the zeitgeist as the "sandwich generation" because many of us had children later in life due to financial constraints, with ageing parents living longer while we reached the peak of our demanding careers. Anxiety and burnout became the norm.

At the same time, older adults want to live independently at home for as long as possible, but existing solutions tend to be either too invasive (cameras, constant surveillance) or too passive (a pendant they have to remember to wear and press).

Less checking. Less guessing. More confidence they're doing okay.

Fall alerts are a common solution used by older adults. However, there is a well-documented failure mode: they forget to wear them, charge them, and then actually use them in the event of a fall.

Importantly, they only cover a single, acute event, failing to account for gradual decline and changes in routines that could mean something of concern is happening.

I wondered if there was a better way. Could a technology solution indicate when something shifts in their routine meaningfully enough to warrant concern and intervention.

I set out to build a remote, ambient awareness system that builds a behavioural baseline on a household and flags meaningful deviations with appropriate escalation.

Research conducted suggested that the product had to combine these four needs:

1. Knowing when something meaningful changes.
2. Covering both acute events and gradual change.
3. Without requiring the parent to continually report, wear or operate something.
4. Giving families a shared understanding of what was happening.