Electronic and powered health and mobility aids

More and more devices and gadgets are being powered or assisted in some way by electronic or computerised components and this is every bit as true for health aids as it is for other product types.

An electronic aid will generally have one of two big advantages over a more conventional and none automated equivalent.

The first advantage comes with powered aids like Wheelchairs, mobility Scooters and adjustable beds where a motor (or series of motors) take the effort and physicality out of using a particular aid. This will often confer a second benefit, namely that of making the person using the aids more independent and in less need of assistance from a carer or family member.

The second advantage is one of taking an analogue or non digital processor based aid and adding technology to it. The general advantage in doing this is improved accuracy and precision and possibly simplicity of use. A good example of an aid of this type could be an automatic blood pressure monitor where the inflation and reading is taken automatically and then displayed on a digital screen and, probably, saved into a small database within the device. (This can then be used to access patient history or passed on to a medical specialist.)

What these electronic aids manage to do is to bring a technology that was once only practicable in hospitals and care homes into normal life and into the home environment. This in turn opens up new options and a broader range of activities for the users of these aids and it also takes part of the burden away from the health service by giving responsibility back to the individual.

The main reason that these electronic aids have become practical for home ownership is of course the cheapness of computer technology and the digital components and processors that are used. Amazingly this can result in a digital thermometer being cheaper than an old style analogue one and a modern mobility scooter costing less than a standard user powered wheelchair.

Categories of electronic device

As already mentioned, the main ways that these new electronic aids can help is by providing their own power, or by using digital technology to take a measurement or provide accurate control. This means that they tend to fit into one of two categories, sometimes with certain products covering both.

The first category is very much one of monitoring and this is where the advanced processor technology makes a once difficult task easy. The obvious example is the accurate digital thermometer versus the glass analogue one, but another good example could be an incontinence alarm. Here a sensor (that uses a processor) detects the first signs of incontinence and this triggers an audible or vibrating alarm to inform the wearer of the occurrence. Remedial action can then be taken immediately.

The second category is one of replacing the need for a carer by the use of automated power and technological control. A good example would be a bath lift where a remote control can be used to lift and lower a person into and out of a bath. This makes a task, that may otherwise be impossible for a mobility challenged person, one that can be undertaken without assistance and with complete control.

Ultimately the use of processors, advanced electronics and small but powerful motors have, and continue, to revolutionise what is and is not possible in the world of health and mobility related products. Here are some examples of aids and devices that have benefited from these technological advancements -