Every day millions of people around the world take on caring responsibility for loved ones which can have a detrimental impact on the quality of life for the whole family if not managed correctly.Working with IBM, Karantis360 has developed a new approach that uses Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to collect data about the movements and day-to-day activities of people in care. The solution uses IBM Watson analytics and machine learning capabilities to identify and learn an individual’s typical behaviour. Using a mobile app, caregivers and family members are able to receive a more complete picture of the wellbeing of the person in care and receive alerts about changes in normal daily routine which could point to a potential problem. The system also aims to provide valuable insights to help service providers improve care and treatment plans.
“By working with IBM, we have been able to develop a digital solution that could completely revolutionize the way we care for our loved ones, reducing the burden of care and helping vulnerable and older people to live in their own homes for longer,” said Nick Hampson, Managing Director of Karantis360. “With IBM’s cloud technologies, AI capabilities and innovation ecosystem, we’ve gone from concept, to service delivery, to our first clients in under 12 months. It’s been an incredible journey.”
Designed to support the residential care of people with physical or mental health needs of different ages, the Karantis360 Assisted Living solution is used with the consent and privacy of people in care and their loved ones. It works by collecting and analysing near-real-time data from a variety of sensors that are installed in a person’s living environment to monitor movement, temperature, humidity and other measurements – dependent on individual needs. By analysing this data, the solution can alert caregivers to incidents like a fall or an accident, or to the person in care leaving the house at an unusual time of day, or not sleeping at night. The solution can also identify such actions as getting out of bed, using the bathroom, turning on the stove, or leaving the house.
Transforming care in the UK
With an estimated nine million people in the UK caring for their loved ones and over half of those feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility*, Care Response, a domiciliary care provider in southern England, has implemented the Karantis360 solution to transform care services in the UK. Quality Assurance Manager Paula Eagle at Care Response, comments: “Transparency, support and rapid intervention are essential for providing more independence and safety for people in care. With the Karantis360 Assisted Living system, people and their Careworkers can have peace of mind that if things go wrong help can be quickly at hand.”
For Care Response, the Karantis360 mobile app and access to near-real-time information has enabled its careworkers to maintain a holistic support culture and complete person-in-care reporting more efficiently – significantly reducing the amount and cost of administration. Careworkers are able to submit reports on the go using a voice notes option, and can view and manage time sheets to accommodate the changing needs of their care clients. By sharing the information with family members, the solution provides visibility and peace of mind for family members.
Moya Brannan, Executive Architect, IBM UK and Ireland added that “the convergence of cloud, AI and mobile technologies is triggering a major shift in the way we provide care to our loved ones. Having real time data is at their fingertips is enabling people to make faster, more informed decisions based on real data rather than guess work. IBM is providing the technologies, expertise and scalability that Karantis360 needs to deliver on this vision.”
The Karantis360 solution runs on the IBM Cloud using IBM’s Watson IoT platform, Db2 on Cloud, and IBM Watson Studio for building and testing machine learning models. Sensors and wireless technology are provided by IBM business partner EnOcean.
