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SMART BUILDINGS THAT ADAPT FOR ASSISTED LIVING
Smart building technology can help people live independent and fulfilling lives. Dean Reddy, ABB’s Product Marketing Specialist for smart buildings, explains how building automation can help people with disabilities and complex needs, as well as older people, to live independent lives.
HOW IS THE MARKET FOR ASSISTED LIVING TECHNOLOGY IN THE UK?
It’s a growing market as people are waking up to the potential of the technology. We’re seeing more projects both for assisted living and later living, mostly from consultants and developers as end users are not yet aware of the possibilities.
Consultants are looking for solutions to present to their clients and developers are interested in building apartments that will adapt as residents’ needs change. There’s also interest from the retrofit market, as past infrastructure was not adaptable or scalable.
By 2066, more than a quarter of the UK’s population will be 65 or over – a total of 20.4 million people. It will be important for them to have technology to help them live independently for as long as possible.
Independent living will also be important for wider society. Technology doesn’t just provide independence, it also reduces the level of support and care that people need, helping to control costs and reducing the impact on society.
WHAT ARE THE KEY REQUIREMENTS?
The most important requirement is adaptability, whether in private homes, purpose-built apartments or sheltered accommodation.
People’s needs change naturally over time and ABB i-bus KNX is ideal to support this. For example by putting in the infrastructure, the property can be reconfigured around the resident’s needs.
The core of a smart building system includes control over HVAC, lighting and blinds. It can also control security and access, appliances such as TV and fans, and doors that open and close at the touch of a button. Furthermore, it can integrate specialist living aids such as lifting hoists and other appliances.
Adding voice control or another function would previously have required rewiring. But by installing ABB i-bus KNX structured wiring, you can simply add a module to upgrade or add new functionality.
New technologies and lifestyles also develop over time, so it’s also important to try to foresee the needs of coming generations. Buildings under construction today will still be in use in 50 or 60 years time.
Traditionally, we’ve rewired buildings every 20-30 years but there’s no need to rewire structured cabling unless there are significant changes to a building. It is simply a case of changing the hardware components to adjust to new requirements.
HOW IS FLEXIBILITY BUILT INTO THE CONTROL INTERFACE?
It’s not just the building’s functions that need to be adaptable, the interface also needs to be accessible for people with complex and varying needs. Every project is different, partly because individuals have large variation in what they need from a system.
For example, it’s possible to provide support for people with cognitive and memory issues, vision problems, as well as dexterity and co-ordination issues.
Our standard interface for ABB i-bus KNX or the ABB free@home smart home solution is based on an app but it can be adapted to suit the needs of residents. The idea is to provide people with straight-forward control over their environment, whatever their needs.
Some people ask for voice control, and in other cases we can support integration with an eye-tracking application. This overlays our app and tracks the eyes of the person using the tablet. They can trigger actions with just the blink of an eye, for example to switch lights or channels.
Springfield Apartments in Brisbane provides independence for 18 people living with multiple sclerosis
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR OWNERS AND MANAGERS OF ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES?
While systems meet the needs of individual residents, ABB i-bus KNX technology can also help managers of accommodation to maintain safety and optimise energy consumption.
By integrating sensors for movement, lighting, air-conditioning levels and other functions, operators can optimise energy efficiency, operate sustainably and control energy bills.
Changes may indicate that a resident is having difficulties, and a system can be set up to raise alerts to trigger a duty manager to check in with them.
Systems like ABB i-bus KNX can also reduce domestic electricity consumption by as much as 60 percent, depending on the number and type of functions that are connected.
CAN YOU SHARE AN EXAMPLE OF KNX IN ASSISTED LIVING?
One example is MS Queensland in Australia, an organisation that provides support for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). It developed the Springfield Apartments in Brisbane to provide independence for 18 people with the help of an ABB i-bus KNX system.
MS affects the nervous system, causing symptoms such as fatigue, problems with balance, co-ordination and dexterity, as well as blurred vision and difficulty with planning and learning. Therefore, MS Queensland wanted to meet the needs of residents for accessibility and ease of control. It also wanted a building with flexibility and futureproofing.
The smart building contractor, SyncWise, recommended the KNX solution to stand the test of time. SyncWise’s Managing Director Roy Baharal says, “In the assisted-living space, new KNX-based products are constantly emerging and they’ll be compatible with the ABB i-Bus infrastructure that makes up the electrical nervous system of Springfield apartments.
“That’s the beauty of it, we don’t know what technology will emerge in five years’ time, but by using KNX, the standard protocol, we know we will be able to implement and integrate it.”
HOW IS MS QUEENSLAND USING KNX?
KNX technology is providing control for every appliance and socket in all 18 apartments, with tablets for each resident to provide them with personal control over their environment.
The technology has been life changing, according to MS Queensland’s Executive General Manager of Service & Operations, Jillian Paull: “One resident said she’d never been able to invite a friend over and open the front door for them, because she’d never had her own front door. Now, she has privacy and can tap her tablet to open her front door whenever she likes.
“Residents love that they can speak to their friends, family, and service providers through the intercom at the street entrance then invite them in, give them access to the lift, and open their own front door – all through the tablet controls.
“It’s the little things that people who don’t live with a neurological condition would take for granted. But it means so much to our residents that this technology empowers them to actively control their home environment.”
Six months after the first residents moved in, MS Queensland surveyed them about their experience and found a large improvement in their quality of life.
WHAT ELSE IS IMPORTANT TO CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE UK?
We’re finding that style is more important than ever. People want to feel like they can put their own touch on their home and not let their assisted living devices dictate how it looks.
Older assisted living technology did not always combine style with functionality. As a result, some older controllers and actuators are cumbersome and have an institutional feel.
It doesn’t need to be like that. Today’s technology was first developed for luxury homes and hotels. As a result, it provides people with control over the look and feel of their homes, as well as enhanced functionality.
