Today the ideal home is far more than a convenient layout of bricks and mortar. Prospective buyers have begun to look at the place they live as an opportunity to create a healthy, environmentally friendly, sustainable lifestyle for the family from cradle to grave.
Last week’s column reflected on technologies that assist in the management of chronic disease from home. Systems are generally based on control panels that collect biometric data, such as weight, blood pressure, blood glucose and temperature. They also monitor movement and activity and remind patients of appointments and medication times. The patients’ caregivers have access to this information to ensure safety and empower a timely response to untoward events.
Currently, 1 in 6 Americans live in a multigenerational household, and this number is rising. As generations move back in together, demand will increase for a home that is compatible with each phase of the life cycle.
Technology can play an important role in making this work. The same audio/ video device that keeps eyes and ears on grandpa also ensures that baby is safe in the crib. On the other hand, the "sandwich generation" (no pun intended) may wish to measure calories in versus calories out to trim that waistline. Consider these high-tech applications:
» Prevention: Balance eating and exercise with a digital pantry manager. Dietary choices have a huge impact on energy levels, brain power and sense of well-being. Imagine a panel that tracks calorie consumption from food and calories expended with exercise. See which vitamins you are getting and in what quantity. The system also tracks inventory levels on the shelf and automatically reorders items before they run low or pass their "best by" date.
» Monitor your (micro) environment. As a result of carbon-based industrialization worldwide, clean air and fresh water are no longer a given. Cities like Beijing and New Delhi face pollution up to 60 times acceptable levels. Pollution is pervasive in the atmosphere and the oceans. An in-home water purification system will become a standard part of the health-conscious home of the future. Home monitors increasingly will be available for not only weather, but also vog/smog levels and ultraviolet sun intensity.
» Well-being through stimulation of the senses. The home environment should be a place where each member of the family can find peace and balance. Aesthetic perspectives that harmonize a person with his or her environment, like feng shui, may be incorporated to enhance spiritual well-being. Technology can contribute by regulating other factors that influence our mood. Imagine a system that adjusts the quality of light and music with optional aromatherapy throughout the day. Set a non-alarm "clock" to start the morning. Select another set of parameters for the evening to stimulate melatonin, natural sleepiness and get those circadian rhythms in phase.
» Sustainability: Reduce, reuse, recycle. Our future homes will maximize energy efficiency, preferably based on green energy, especially solar. At some point, battery efficiency will improve, and more people will come off the grid. Control panels will regulate energy use by automatically shutting down appliances and lights that are not currently in use and by optimizing heating and AC flow. An example is water heat recycling, in which drain water from the shower or dishwasher is reused as energy to heat the cold water in the boiler or reservoir tank. This way, cold water of 50 degrees Fahrenheit can be heated to 75 degrees with less energy.
» Play games to grow. Home is a place to relax, have fun, learn and grow. There are many digital games on the market that try to engage us in all these activities at once. Digital fitness programs can keep adults in shape and help toddlers develop motor skills. Brain teasers that train memory might be just as helpful for high school students as for aging retirees who want to keep their brains active. A system that tracks progress and identifies weaknesses and strengths might engage the whole family in playful self-improvement.
Although a health-conscious home system that integrates all aspects mentioned is not yet the standard, there is a dedicated movement afoot.
Eric Dishman, an Intel Corp. fellow and general manager of Intel’s health and life sciences group, is considered a global leader in health care renovation. He is involved in the integration of health care, technology, well-being and sustainable living at home.
Dishman will visit Hawaii April 10-11 to work with leaders in the health, business and technology communities to connect with and engage in projects that promote health-conscious living.
The public is invited to attend three events with Dishman. Advance registration is requested. For more information, visit atrc.org/Home.aspx.
Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.
