What an absolute shower! Subdistrict leading the way in eldercare
The smart "shower butler" can monitor temperatures, humidity and oxygen saturation level, and alert him to not shower too long.
Shanghai senior Zhang, 66, is raving about a new smart "shower butler."
Living in old house without modern bathing facilities, he showers at a bathhouse built for senior residents in downtown Jing'an Temple area.
Jing'ansi Subdistrict has old buildings and an aging population.
On a recent visit to the bathhouse, he found something new.
A small digital device, the size of a central air-conditioner circuit board, has been installed on the wall right by the shower. It can monitor temperatures, humidity and oxygen saturation level, and alert the user not to shower too long.
"It's very convenient for me to take shower here," he said. "And now there is a smart 'shower butler' here to look after me. I feel much more reassured."
Sheng Wen, deputy director of the subdistrict's service office, said 15 shower rooms in seven senior-only bathhouses have been installed with smart "shower butlers" over the past two months to ensure the safety of senior residents during showers.
The subdistrict is dotted with historic buildings, with some having renovation restrictions. This has made showers a luxury for senior residents, who account for 42 percent of the local population.
The subdistrict responded to calls for senior-friendly bathhouses.
Now, every year, these sites receive about 1,500 visits, Sheng said.
It has not been all smooth sailing.
"Some complained that they had to queue up to take a shower and some said the thick water vapor made their heads swim," she said.
"So, we developed the smart 'shower butler.' Senior residents can set the temperature of water, humidity of shower room and time used for shower. Data is immediately uploaded to the back-end monitoring system. We will be alerted in time if anything goes wrong, and ask people to check on the users at the scene."
The bathhouses are just the tip of the iceberg in the subdistrict's smart eldercare sector.
"We have deeply embraced the digital age to offer personalized care to local seniors and turn the subdistrict into a fenceless nursing home," Sheng said.
Before the smart "shower butler," the subdistrict had developed the smart "water butler."
A wide range of services are available.
Eldercare information is linked to the subdistrict's big data system.
Since June 2018, hundreds of sensors on water meters have been installed in the homes of the elderly living alone. By detecting daily water use, the sensors tell officials whether anything abnormal has occurred. Visits will be paid if that happens.
In one case, an elderly woman living at 361 Yuyuan Road, left home for two days to visit her grandson, but she failed to tell anyone. When sensors didn't detect any use of water, officials showed up at the home. They found it was just a false alarm.
It is so accurate it can detect even one cubic decaliter of water use. Data is updated every 30 minutes, Sheng said, noting it can avoid tragedies such as seniors falling and being unable to summon aid.
The subdistrict is now hailed as one of the smartest communities in Shanghai.
At seven eldercare locations, each of which is within 15-minute walk from home, senior residents can have their faces scanned to make appointments for a wide range of services such as laundry, haircut, housekeeping, food delivery and bathing assistance. Associated fees are automatically deducted from their accounts of allowances paid by authorities.
This online eldercare service platform was initially launched at the subdistrict's WeChat account, but few elderly people can use smartphones.
"The locations enable them to experience the conveniences of the digital age," Sheng said. "They don't need to worry about forgetting to take ID cards or getting arithmetic wrong. They just walk in and enjoy the services."
Now, the online platform has had 3,517 registered users.
Big data has their profiles, including their health conditions. Twenty-six community eldercare consultants are there to make tailor-made eldercare plans for them, and discover their demands before they are aware.
"I can always find the best eldercare service and the most suitable eldercare plan here," said a senior resident surnamed Xia.
Without wife or children, he lives alone. Worse, he was just discharged from hospital for cerebral infarction. Still recovering, he can't cope at home. So, he turned to eldercare consultant Ding Wenxia. She arranged for him to stay at the community eldercare center in the daytime, and installed an emergency call device at his home.
"We are happy to live here," senior resident Zhang said.
He also gave a thumb-up for the subdistrict's offline eldercare services, especially a wide range of activities in eldercare locations.
"It makes our life richer and so much easier," Zhang said, while playing cards with six other residents.
"Every morning we start with some exercises to move our bodies, and we can practice Chinese calligraphy, read, draw, or simply play card games throughout the day. We don't even need to worry about meals."
