Telecare can be defined as the continuous, automatic and remote monitoring of real-time emergencies and lifestyle changes over time to manage the risks associated with independent living. In layman’s terms it enables vulnerable, elderly and even disabled people to live longer on their own at home through remote monitoring and emergency alarms.
In partnership with a global provider of a leading telecare and monitoring system, Vox is bringing even more innovation to its customer base that not only changes lives but saves them as well. In recent years, Vox has evolved from being a connectivity provider to a company that brings solutions to market that can positively impact on South Africans from all walks of life.
“Vox ICE (In Case of Emergency) is a first of its kind in the country. It sees international best practice combined with the local expertise and insights of Vox to deliver an affordable and user-friendly solution that addresses the problem of monitoring the elderly who live independently at home, in a non-intrusive manner”, said Rudi Potgieter, executive head of Guardian Eye at Vox.
Designed and developed by several professionals from the medical, paramedical, and social sectors, Vox ICE consists of motion sensors installed at strategic places inside the house and a wearable alert pendant. This non-invasive solution runs movement data, captured by the sensors, through a deep learning engine that builds trends and events around elderly people living on their own. Once an event outside the norm takes place, for example a fall or not locking the back door after a certain amount of time, an alert is sent to a pre-defined list of emergency contacts. This can either be the next of kin, a neighbour, caregiver, control centre (in the case of a frail care facility), or even emergency response.
Vox ICE learns the habits and behaviours of the person it monitors and flags any potential issues in real-time before they become catastrophic. As this is a life-saving solution, it has built-in battery power and relies on the Sigfox global network dedicated to the Internet of Things based on low power, long range, and small data packets. This means no existing internet connectivity is required on site as it is a completely self-contained offering, with everything built in to deliver a complete plug-and-play experience.
The pendant doubles as a panic button but can also send an alert if the person moves outside a specified area. It features an accelerometer that detects rapid movements based on complex algorithms to detect when a person falls outside the home.
Vox ICE is a completely modular subscription service that can be customised to the unique requirements of each individual customer. It is the perfect non-invasive solution that provides telecare to South Africans irrespective of their physical location.
