AI Sensors vs. Wearables: Why Contactless Tech Wins in Aged Care

Aged care is undergoing a technological revolution, with artificial intelligence (AI) playing a crucial role in enhancing safety, efficiency, and dignity for elderly. Two key innovations—wearable devices and AI-powered contactless sensors—are at the forefront of this transformation. While both technologies aim to monitor and improve elder care, AI sensors are emerging as the superior choice due to their seamless operation, higher compliance, and superior data accuracy.

In this blog, we’ll compare wearable devices and contactless AI sensors in aged care, highlighting the challenges of wearables and why ambient sensor technology is proving to be the better alternative.

The Rise of Technology in Aged Care

With Australia's aging population projected to grow significantly—20% of Australians will be aged 65+ by 2031, and the number of people over 85 will triple by 2066—the aged care sector is under mounting pressure.

Challenges such as workforce shortages, reactive care models, and staff burnout make it crucial for aged care providers to embrace technologies that offer real-time monitoring and proactive interventions. This is where AI-driven solutions like wearables and contactless sensors come into play.

Wearable Devices: A Limited Approach to Aged Care Monitoring

Wearable devices, such as smartwatches, fall detection pendants, and fitness trackers, have been widely used in healthcare to monitor vital signs, activity levels, and emergency situations. While wearables have shown some benefits, they come with significant limitations, particularly in aged care settings.

1. Compliance Issues: Elderly Forget or Refuse to Wear Them

One of the biggest drawbacks of wearables is compliance. The elderly, especially those with cognitive impairments like dementia or Alzheimer's disease, often forget to wear their devices, rendering them ineffective.

• Studies have shown that more than 40% of elderly people forget to wear their medical alert devices regularly.

• Some elderly individuals refuse to wear them due to discomfort, stigma, or fear of being monitored.

• Others may remove the device while sleeping or bathing, leaving them unprotected during crucial moments.

2. Discomfort and Usability Challenges

Elderly people often find wearables uncomfortable, cumbersome, or intrusive. Many older individuals are not accustomed to wearing watches, pendants, or wristbands, and some even develop skin irritation or pressure sores from prolonged use.

• Dexterity issues make it hard for the elderly to put on and take off wearables independently.

• Devices with small buttons or complex interfaces can be challenging for the elderely with arthritis or vision impairments.

• Some wearables require regular charging, which can be an added inconvenience.

3. Reliability and Accuracy Concerns

Many wearables rely on manual activation, meaning the elderly must press a button in case of an emergency. However, in critical situations like falls or strokes, the individual may be unconscious or unable to call for help.

Additionally, wearables often miss subtle health changes. For example:

• Fall detection alarms may not activate if a person slumps down gradually instead of falling abruptly.

• Wearable sensors may misinterpret movement data, leading to false alarms or missed incidents.

4. Privacy Concerns and Stigma

Some elderely people feel that wearing a visible tracking device makes them look vulnerable, leading to embarrassment or social stigma. Others worry about data privacy, particularly if the wearable transmits personal health data to external servers.

Given these limitations, a more effective and user-friendly solution is needed—one that works passively in the background without requiring user interaction. This is where

AI-powered contactless sensors come into play.

AI-Powered Contactless Sensors: A Game-Changer for Aged Care

AI-powered contactless sensors are discreet, always-on monitoring systems that use radar, optical sensors, and machine learning to track elder’s health and safety without requiring wearables. These sensors can be embedded in aged care facilities or private homes, offering a non-invasive and highly reliable solution.

1. Seamless, Always-On Monitoring

Unlike wearables, contactless sensors do not rely on manual activation or user compliance. They are installed in rooms, hallways, or ceilings, where they continuously monitor movement, vital signs, and environmental changes in real time.

• Fall detection: AI sensors analyse motion patterns to instantly detect falls and alert caregivers, even if the resident is unconscious.

• Sleep monitoring: Passive tracking detects restless sleep patterns, nighttime wandering, or respiratory irregularities.

• Bathroom usage tracking: AI can identify potential UTIs or dehydration by analysing how often a elderly person uses the bathroom.

2. Zero Wearable Discomfort

Since AI-powered sensors do not require physical contact, elderly people experience zero discomfort. There are no wristbands, pendants, or devices to wear, charge, or adjust—everything works seamlessly in the background.

This is particularly beneficial for dementia patients, who may:

• Resist wearing unfamiliar devices.

• Remove or lose their wearables.

• Require continuous monitoring for wandering or nighttime confusion.

3. Proactive Health Monitoring and Predictive Insights

AI sensors don’t just detect emergencies; they analyse trends and predict early signs of health deterioration. This allows for proactive interventions, reducing hospitalizations and improving overall care.

For example:

• A gradual decline in movement over weeks may indicate mobility issues or early illness.

• Changes in sleep patterns could signal depression or cognitive decline.

• An increase in nighttime bathroom visits may suggest a urinary tract infection (UTI).

By leveraging machine learning algorithms, AI sensors help caregivers identify and address issues before they become critical.

4. Enhanced Privacy and Ethical Design

AI-powered sensors are designed to protect privacy and comply with regulations like Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 and Aged Care Quality Standards.

• No cameras: Unlike surveillance cameras, AI sensors use optical sensors and radar, ensuring residents' privacy is not compromised.

• Data anonymisation: Minimal personal information is stored on these systems, with options for processing data locally and on cloud-based servers.

• Resident and family consent: The elderly and their families can opt into specific monitoring features, ensuring ethical transparency.

5. Better Integration with Aged Care Facilities

AI-powered sensors can seamlessly integrate with aged care management systems, Nurse Call Systems, My Health Record, and telehealth services, allowing healthcare providers to access real-time health insights.

For instance:

• Aged care homes in Victoria using AI sensors saw a 30% reduction in paperwork, allowing staff to focus on direct resident care.

• Facilities in Queensland utilising predictive analytics cut down hospital visits by 22%, improving health outcomes and reducing costs.

Conclusion: Why AI Sensors Win in Aged Care

While wearables have played a role in healthcare, they fall short in aged care environments due to compliance issues, discomfort, and reliability concerns. AI-powered contactless sensors, on the other hand, offer a seamless, always-on, and privacy-conscious alternative that provides real-time monitoring and predictive health insights.

Why AI Sensors Win Over Wearables

Feature	Wearables	AI Sensors
User Compliance	Requires user to wear, charge, and activate	Always-on, no user input needed
Comfort	Can be uncomfortable, stigmatising	Invisible and non-intrusive
Data Accuracy	Prone to false alarms, manual activation	High accuracy with AI-driven insights
Emergency Detection	Only works if worn and activated	Detects falls, respiratory changes, and distress automatically
Health Insights	Limited real-time tracking	Predicts risks like UTIs, dehydration, or mobility decline

For aged care providers seeking efficient, ethical, and non-intrusive solutions, AI-powered contactless sensors are the future—helping our elderly live a better quality of life, safely,  comfortably, and with dignity.

Want to learn more?

📥 Book a Demo on AI-powered aged care technology, visit www.dreamsedge.com.au.