Abstract
Background:
Independent living may become a threat for frail elderly persons when their situation deteriorates. Formal and informal caregivers often worry about the safety of the elderly person living alone. Activity monitoring may be assistive in home care delivery.
Objective:
A pilot study was conducted to examine potential effects of the activity monitoring system ‘QuietCare’ on clients, formal and informal caregivers.
Methods:
QuietCare registers activities of daily living. Questionnaires were used to assess amongst others the degree of experienced independence, quality of life and health status among clients (
Results:
No significant changes were found on the client questionnaires. A significant decrease in subjective burden of informal caregivers was found between T0 and T2 (
Conclusion:
Activity monitoring may be effective in supporting informal caregivers in care delivery to frail elderly people living alone by reducing subjective burden. Activity monitoring is a promising assistive technology to support frail elderly people to live longer independently.