Beyond Sound:
The Future of
Acoustic Monitoring

What are Acoustic Monitoring Systems and RoomMate Digital Checks exactly? 

Acoustic Monitoring Systems

Acoustic monitoring systems utilise sound sensors to detect anomalies such as coughing, restlessness, or calls for help, primarily during nighttime hours. These systems rely on team members interpretation of audio cues to assess resident needs, which can lead to ambiguity and delayed responses. 

RoomMate Digital Checks

RoomMate employs advanced 3D infrared sensors to create anonymised visual representations of a resident’s environment. It detects specific events such as falls, bed exits, and unusual inactivity, automatically providing real-time alerts and enabling care teams to assess situations through anonymised images and audio. This proactive approach facilitates immediate intervention, enhancing resident safety and care quality.

Let’s look at both acoustic monitoring systems and RoomMate’s infrared sensor

Firstly, Proactive and Comprehensive Monitoring

Proactive Fall Prevention:

Traditional acoustic monitoring alerts care teams to loud or unusual sounds from a resident’s room as they happen. RoomMate goes further by providing early alerts for movement, standing attempts, or bed and chair exits, along with anonymised visual context. This allows care teams to respond sooner and more accurately, helping prevent falls before they occur.

Comprehensive Event Detection:

Traditional acoustic monitoring alerts staff to loud or unusual sounds. RoomMate offers earlier, more precise alerts for movement or exit attempts, plus anonymised visuals, helping to prevent, not only detect, falls before they happen.

24/7 Monitoring:

Traditional acoustic systems are limited to night-time use and often misinterpret background noise. RoomMate offers 24/7 intelligent monitoring that accurately detects resident movement, reduces false alarms, and allows alerts to be paused when staff or visitors are present. Its sensor data, accessed through Sensio Insight, provides valuable insights into resident routines, supporting faster and more personalised care.

Reduced False Alarms:

Traditional acoustic monitoring relies on sound alone, often leading to false alarms from sources like TV or outside noise. RoomMate adds visual context and targeted alerts, helping care teams verify situations quickly and respond only to real emergencies.

Improved Sleep for Residents:

Traditional acoustic monitoring can trigger false alarms, causing unnecessary room checks that disturb residents' sleep. RoomMate reduces these disruptions by using smart monitoring to detect only meaningful activity, allowing remote observation and promoting better rest and well-being.

Support for Non-Communicative Residents:

Traditional acoustic monitoring detects loud sounds but may not help residents who can’t call for help. RoomMate’s passive monitoring is especially useful for those with cognitive impairments who cannot ask verbally for assistance.

Next, Contextual Awareness and Privacy-First Design

Anonymised Visual Context:

Traditional acoustic systems rely only on sound, offering no visual insight. RoomMate delivers anonymised visuals that give care teams the context they need to assess situations accurately - without compromising resident privacy.

Enhanced Privacy Measures:

Both traditional acoustic systems and RoomMate are designed with resident privacy in mind.
RoomMate delivers essential visual context without capturing or storing any identifiable images or audio. Its anonymised imaging technology ensures residents' dignity is fully respected, while still equipping care teams with the information they need to respond effectively and appropriately.

Finally, Integration, Ease of Use, and Future Readiness

Integration with Care Platforms:

Both traditional acoustic systems and RoomMate can connect with digital care planning tools.
RoomMate’s advanced features help streamline documentation, support the recording of resident digital supervisions, and make it easier to create and update personalised care plans - saving time and improving the quality of care.

Future-Proof Technology:

Traditional acoustic monitoring is now only one part of the puzzle in care technology.
RoomMate is designed to evolve with the changing needs across the care sector and already encompasses several pieces of traditional technology in a more developed way. With ongoing updates and AI enhancements, RoomMate is built to last and develop with the future of care.

Easy Installation and Retrofitting:

Traditional acoustic systems are typically plug and play but need careful placement to avoid background noise interference. RoomMate’s advanced technology does not detect ambient sounds, ensuring reliable performance. It installs quickly without hard wiring, maps room layouts, and uses AI to recalibrate for changes, making it easy to retrofit and maintain accuracy.

User-Friendly and Easy to Use:

Traditional acoustic systems require staff to monitor sounds either continuously on screens or via mobile alerts. RoomMate simplifies this with its user-friendly Pocket app, delivering alerts directly to handheld devices and streamlining workflows. Care teams find it easy to use without extra training. Additionally, Sensio offers Vista for larger displays and a Welfare Platform for detailed reporting and insights, supporting efficient, person-centred care.

How we’ve also supercharged RoomMate with Sensio Insight and Sensio Pocket

Sensio Insight

Sensio Insight is an innovative digital e-health solution that provides invaluable insights about residents in care homes. By collecting, analysing, and visualising data from RoomMate over a period of time, Sensio Insight enables care teams to provide person-centred care based on automatically collected sensor data. This decision support allows for faster and more personalised interventions, improving overall care quality. 

Sensio Pocket

Sensio Pocket is a user-friendly mobile app that serves as a digital workspace for care teams. It provides staff with a prioritised overview of alarms according to service needs, with push notifications for new and escalated alarms. Different alarm types are signalled with distinct acoustic alerts, icons, and colours, making it easy to assess the criticality of the alarm. With Sensio Pocket, care teams can perform digital supervisions and communicate with residents directly through their handheld devices, enhancing responsiveness and care coordination.