Age UK Medway collaborates with MiiCare to provide older people with their very own ‘Digital Guardian Angel’.

Age UK Medway is teaming up with an innovative Medtech company, MiiCare, in a 3-month pilot to provide older people in the Medway towns with an interactive piece of telehealth technology, which is designed to extend life expectancy and improve quality of life of older people and their carers. The MiiCube, which is being provided free of charge to 100 Medway residents, uses clever technology to assist older people in their daily activities, look after their health and wellbeing, keep their loved ones informed about their situation and even contact emergency services if something is wrong. The main feature of the MiiCube is its inbuilt virtual assistant, Monica, who speaks to and takes care of the older person.

As the country enters the second lockdown of 2020, many older people are going to feel isolated, lonely and depressed as they are unable to see friends and family and are discouraged from going outside. Simple things like getting out of bed, remembering to take their medications and staying warm may become more difficult in the coming months and without anyone to check on them, this could go unnoticed. Monica uses subtle and polite prompts to keep older people company, encourage them to maintain self-care and monitor their physical and mental wellbeing, all whilst maintaining their privacy.

The idea for the MiiCube was engineered in Kent by MiiCare’s founder, Kelvin Summoogum, who says, “I developed MiiCube after losing both my father and grandmother to falls at home. I made myself the promise that no family should ever go through the same pain.” Kelvin’s grandmother, like many older people, was reluctant to move out of her family home to a care home and wanted to spend the rest of her life in her house. However, she sadly succumbed to injuries to a fall at home, which left her lying on the cold floor in pain and agony for several hours. After doing over a year of research, Kelvin realised that he needed to develop something which is ‘person-centred’, is simple to use and one which adapts to older people and not the other way round. Kelvin also knew that social interaction is important to older people, and knew that he needed to produce something which interacts as a companion and this is where the idea of Monica was stemmed.

The MiiCube’s assistive technology means that older people are able to stay in their own homes, saving money and undue stress to older people and their families. Kelvin, a Medway resident himself, says he is “proud to be able to bring innovation” to his home town, after starting up the Medtech company in Kent, moving it to London and then expanding it across country due to its success.

The clever cube, which is placed in the older person’s living room, automatically connects to various wireless sensors which the older person places at key locations in the house themselves, meaning there are no household visits by installers required. These sensors allow the voice assistant to know where the older person is, how hydrated they are, whether they have taken their medication, and much more. The MiiCube is also paired up with a smart watch to monitor physical activity and sleep duration, a wireless thermometer to check their temperature and an oxygen level detector to check their vitals. The voice assistant, Monica, internalises and monitors these readings, prompting the user with personalised advice and reminders.

Pam [pictured below], who is 86 years old and one MiiCare’s first customers, says:

“I’ve been living on my own now for about 18 years but I don’t feel lonely and part of it is because I have this cube. It’s very good because the lady talks to me, reminds me of taking my medicines and sometimes if I take the wrong medicines she will tell me. It keeps an eye on me and that I find very comforting.”

John Norley, Chief Officer of Age UK Medway said: “Age UK Medway are delighted to be partnering with MiiCare in this pilot to bring the MiiCube into the homes of vulnerable older people across Medway. The pilot will help us, and MiiCare, show what we have known for some time, in that a little assistance at the right time, in an unobtrusive and supportive way, can go a long way to supporting people to remain independent at home for longer.

Being able to use technology, and specifically AI based tech within the MiiCube is exciting, and gives us the opportunity to trial care and support provision in a new and innovative way, which of course, will be the way of the future.  Care of our older people is expensive, and finding ways to enhance and improve care that takes advantage of emerging technologies is crucial to solving the problem of a growing older population and a reduction in the funding available to support them.”

If you or an older relative live alone, are a Medway resident, and have underlying health conditions, we would love to have you as a participant in this free trial. To find out more, get in touch with Age UK Medway now, limited spaces available. Email amygalea@ageukmedway.org.uk or call 01634 572616 today!