The CSIRO’s Smarter, Safer Homes project, currently being trialed in regional NSW, involves placing simple sensors such as motion detectors and energy sensors around the home to monitor an elderly person as they go about their day and report the data back to family members or carers.
For example, motion sensors can detect whether a person rose from bed at the usual time, whether the kettle was put on in the morning, if they are regularly cooking food for themselves or even if the oven has been left on.