19/02/2022
Eureka Data Science is developing a virtual assistant for looking after people who want to remain in their own homes as they age. Virtual Nurse is an always-on digital assistant with an avatar at the front end. There are no data entry screens to worry about, no passwords to enter-- you just talk and it talks back. It reminds you to take your medications and measurements, helps you to find and make bookings with healthcare providers, and hosts your telehealth appointments. It coordinates visits by your carers, and helps you stay in touch with friends and family. Critically, it detects medical episodes and contacts help, and can even alert your GP to emerging problems before you end up unwell or in hospital.
You can add wearable and ambient devices for detecting falls, cardiac issues, blood glucose, and so on. Virtual Nurse just absorbs them into its conversation skills so you don't have to carry your phone around and remember how to use a bunch of separate apps. Virtual Nurse puts the face in user interface.
Virtual Nurse runs on a dedicated tablet device that you keep in the room where you spend most of your time. You can extend its range with smart speakers in other rooms. You can ask it to call anyone in your contacts list, and it automatically calls for help when you're in trouble.
The shortage of aged care workers is already concerning and will grow exponentially over the next decade. Home visits by professional carers will never be as frequent as we would like. We need a technological solution that fills the gaps, and it needs to be comprehensive, reliable, and easy to use. We need Virtual Nurse.
You may not have a human carer watching over you 24/7, but Virtual Nurse will always be there for you.
