Imperial trials at-home monitoring service for dementia patients

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has launched an at-home monitoring service for dementia patients to spot signs of changes in health needs and potentially reduce unnecessary admissions. It comes as NHS figures published in August 2024 show 506,549 people have received a dementia diagnosis, compared to 490,163 this time last year. The MinderCare service, run in collaboration with the UK Dementia Research Institute, uses a network of sensors installed in the home to send data to a team of doctors, nurses and other clinical specialists, which helps them understand how the person is managing their daily routine and identify early signs of changing health and care needs. Professor David Sharp, neurologist and centre director of the UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology, said: “MinderCare is an exciting partnership between the UK Dementia Research Institute and Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust that trials a radically new way of dementia care that is anchored in the hospital but reaching out into people’s homes, with the aim of delivering cost-effective care that improves quality of life and reduces hospital admissions.” The service is aiming to enrol 100 patients by September 2025, as part of a study establishing the feasibility of continuing and expanding the service within North West London. With MinderCare, the person with dementia is provided with a network of smart home devices which are connected via the internet and installed in their home, including door, appliance and movement sensors, which can capture trends in movement around the home and during basic household tasks, such as making a cup of tea. There is also a bed mat, which sits under the mattress, tracking sleep disturbances, detecting movement and measuring breathing and heart rates. Data is reviewed every day by the MinderCare monitoring team, which has been sent from the individual’s home system to the Minder digital research platform, which analyses information from the various devices to provide detailed insight. This integrated data helps the monitoring team identify any trends or patterns that might indicate a health and care need so that it can be escalated quickly for further review and intervention if required. Dr Jeremy Isaacs, national clinical director for dementia at NHS England, said: “MinderCare is a great example of the NHS trialling cutting-edge technology to help more people to live safely in their own homes. “There are lots of reasons why people might be forgetful or absent-minded, but it could be the sign that something is wrong. “Issues that may not have been obvious previously such as forgetfulness, difficulty making plans, or word-finding problems may be easier to spot when families or friends across the country get together for an extended period. “Getting a diagnosis of dementia is the first step in supporting people, with a wide range of NHS services able to help.” MinderCare has been funded and by medical research charity LifeArc.