A Pervasive Healthcare Ecosystem for Monitoring Frail Individuals

Population aging is a global phenomenon marked by increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates, with one in six individuals projected to be aged 60 or over by 2030, and this demographic expected to double to 2.1 billion by 2050. This demographic shift presents significant challenges for healthcare systems, pension sustainability, and social dynamics, particularly as the old-age dependency ratio rises. Additionally, aging populations face a growing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which share overlapping pathologies, complicating care and treatment. Current care solutions often fail to meet the needs of frail individuals, em- phasizing the urgent need for innovative, comprehensive support systems. This thesis proposes a pervasive ecosystem for monitoring frail individu- als in both indoor and outdoor settings, aimed at improving quality of life, therapy outcomes, and reducing caregiver and healthcare burdens. The proposed ecosystem employs dual-level monitoring techniques: coarse-grained monitoring, focusing on presence and movement habits, and fine-grained monitoring, addressing specific impairments, vital parameters, and activities of daily living.