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Urgent Need
We have received a $30,000 grant that is contingent upon raising $30,000 in matching funds to build a first-ever housing prototype that taps into Population Health strategies.
Demographic Served
Population Health strategies link those most vulnerable in our society to the health services they need – sometimes before they even know they need it. No demographic stands to benefit more from this connectivity than seniors. We are incredibly unprepared to house the wave of Baby Boomers that are turning 65 at a rate of 10,000 per day. The escalating cost of assisted living and health care costs associated with aging will require us to rethink the way we deliver health and wellness services. Our goal is to provide solutions that allow residents to age-in-place longer and at a lower cost than in the existing systems of continuing care retirement communities. We also believe many of our prefabricated aging-in-place assemblies can be used to retrofit existing housing stock that is inadequate in addressing the needs of ailing seniors.
Why Here?
Google Fiber brought a gigabit network to Kansas City in 2012. Ever since, city leaders here and in gigabit cities across the country have been asking, “What would you do with unlimited bandwidth?” We believe the answer is Population Health. The vast quantities of biometric data made possible by gigabit networks have the potential to deliver healthcare affordably, equitably, and effectively at scale.
New Cities/Smart Cities
KU’s New Cities research initiative is studying how these “Smart Cities” can create a built environment that addresses our country’s shifting demographics. We have assembled a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, healthcare professionals, academic researchers, and industry partners that will bring the potential of this data-rich landscape to an aging society both equitably and at scale. This prefabricated housing unit will demonstrate the integration of medical technologies, predictive algorithms, and optimized manufacturing processes to improve the quality of life for all citizens.
Disruptive Innovation
We propose a housing unit that acts as a medical device. Biometric data is collected to monitor resident activity and falls. It also senses irregularities that may be a cause for concern. Gait analysis detects imperceptible dysfunction and deterioration in coordination and balance, indicators of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Smart toilets collect data on hydration and other vitals and alert care providers and physicians of potential problems. Data from smart toilets allows for real-time adjustment of diuretics taken with heart and blood pressure medication. Automated medicine dispensers also regulate schedules and remind residents when to take medication. Bed sensors provide a ballistocardiogram to collect data on heartrate, respiration, and restlessness. The yellowing of the lenses in our eyes brought on by aging filters out a significant portion of blue light that helps to regulate the body’s circadian rhythms and the release of melatonin in the evening and cortisol in the morning. The resulting imbalance is associated with memory loss, slower reaction time, insomnia, and even depression. Smart mirrors monitor skin abnormalities, tooth plaque, eye-tracking dysfunction, and eye-lens yellowing. This data color-corrects ambient light through LED lighting to provide custom lighting-spectrum therapy.
For more information: https://indd.adobe.com/view/d4e5ac36-17e5-44a3-acb2-9b6ea962a15c
- Donors at all levels will have their name added to the New Cites website.
- Firm and/or name engraved on a plaque attached to the housing unit that travels to conferences and sits in KU’s East Hills Construction Innovation Lab - Donors at all levels will have their name added to the New Cites website.
- Listed in project publication - Firm and/or name engraved on a plaque attached to the housing unit that travels to conferences and sits in KU’s East Hills Construction Innovation Lab - Donors at all levels will have their name added to the New Cites website.
- Invited to the unveiling reception and walkthrough of the completed unit and presentation of associated research - Listed in project publication - Firm and/or name engraved on a plaque attached to the housing unit that travels to conferences and sits in KU’s East Hills Construction Innovation Lab - Donors at all levels will have their name added to the New Cites website.