Method executed by a computer for providing information to support nursing care, program for causing a computer to execute the method, and nursing care support information providing device

Abstract

To provide a technique for providing information for supporting nursing care.SOLUTION: A process performed by a CPU 1 includes a step in which information on residents staying in a facility is obtained (S910), a step in which information is received from an outside system (for example, LIFE) which is other than a system (S920), a step in which the current states of the residents are obtained through analyzing the states of the residents (S930), a step in which changes in the states of the respective residents or changes in trends in the facility as a whole are detected (S940), a step in which, in response to a change being detected, a chart showing a comparison between data of the facility and average data based on the information from the outside system is displayed (S950), a step in which, according to the result of the comparison, a recommended program for improving the state of a resident is selected (S960), and a step in which the recommended program is displayed on a monitor (S960).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to the presentation of information, and more particularly, to the presentation of information obtained in a care facility. [Background technology]

[0002] Nursing homes provide a variety of nursing care services and rehabilitation support to help residents recover.

[0003] Regarding rehabilitation support, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2015-159935 (Patent Document 1) discloses a "rehabilitation support device that smoothly transmits and shares information from each rehabilitation facility to efficiently coordinate rehabilitation." This rehabilitation support device "includes a calculation unit 27 that acquires motion information of a trainee undergoing rehabilitation at its own facility and calculates a rehabilitation evaluation index based on the motion information, transmission units 29 and 30 that transmit the motion information and evaluation index to a database shared by multiple facilities, reception units 21 and 22 that receive motion information and evaluation indexes of the trainee at other facilities from the database, a conversion unit 23 that converts the second evaluation index into the format of the first evaluation index using the received motion information when the format of the first evaluation index calculated by the calculation unit is different from that of the second evaluation index received by the reception unit, and a rehabilitation plan creation unit 28 that compares the first and second evaluation indexes of the same format and creates a rehabilitation plan based on the comparison result" ([Abstract]). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-159935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The Long-term care Information system For Evidence (LIFE), a scientific data-based nursing care information system, is being introduced in the field of nursing care. Each facility is expected to provide more effective nursing care and rehabilitation services by utilizing not only its own data but also data obtained from external systems such as LIFE.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-described background, and discloses a technology for providing information for supporting care in a certain situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment, there is provided a computer-implemented method for providing information to support nursing care, the method including the steps of receiving, from another information system, aggregated data categorizing the status of residents of a plurality of types of facilities, receiving data for one or more items obtained by sensing the status of the residents of each room from sensor boxes disposed in each room and connected to the computer, calculating individual data categorizing the status of each resident of the facility using the data received from each sensor box, and displaying the individual data and the aggregated data for any of the plurality of types of facilities on a monitor connected to the computer so that they can be compared.

[0008] In some aspects, the resident's condition includes the degree of assistance or care required, nutritional level, or status of activities of daily living.

[0009] In one aspect, the displaying step includes displaying the individual data and aggregated data for facilities of the same type as the type of facility for which the individual data was aggregated.

[0010] A method according to one aspect further includes the steps of accepting an input for changing any of the plurality of types to another type, and displaying the individual data and aggregate data for the facility of the changed type.

[0011] A method according to one aspect further includes a step of displaying the individual data and data obtained by classifying the aggregate data according to the number of users of any type of facility.

[0012] A method according to one aspect further includes displaying the individual data and data obtained by sorting the aggregate data according to the staff composition of any type of facility.

[0013] According to another embodiment, there is provided a computer-implemented method for providing information to support nursing care, the method including the steps of receiving data for each of a plurality of items obtained by sensing the condition of a resident in each room from each sensor box disposed in each room and connected to the computer, recording each piece of data, and displaying, for a pre-designated item among the items, a plurality of pieces of information associated with each resident in ascending or descending order of the data for the item on a monitor connected to the computer.

[0014] According to another embodiment, there is provided a method executed by a computer for providing information to support nursing care, the method including the steps of receiving data for each of a plurality of items obtained by sensing the condition of a resident in a room from each sensor box arranged in each room and connected to a computer, recording each piece of data, and, based on an amount of change between each piece of data obtained at a first timing and each piece of data obtained at a second timing exceeding a predetermined criterion, displaying other information obtained about the resident from whom the data was obtained on a monitor connected to the computer.

[0015] According to one aspect, the method further includes a step of accepting a selection of one of the residents. The step of displaying on the monitor includes a step of displaying an image of the room of the selected resident.

[0016] According to another embodiment, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute any of the methods described above.

[0017] According to still another embodiment, there is provided a care support information providing device including a memory storing the above program and a processor that executes the program.

[0018] The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the flow of nursing care work before and after the introduction of LIFE. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a system 100 according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a system 100. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a system 100 using a sensor box 119. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computer system 400. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a database stored on a hard disk 5 of a system 100. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of data to be compared with the facility data. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a database stored on the hard disk 5 for presenting rehabilitation menus and other messages tailored to each resident to care staff. [Figure 9]1 is a flowchart showing a part of the processing executed by a CPU 1 of a system 100. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a monitor 8 of the system 100. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a database showing the status of support / care levels for each facility size based on the number of staff members. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a monitor 8 based on the database. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how various databases acquired for each resident are stored. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a screen displayed on the monitor 8 based on the database. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram conceptually showing an example in which values ​​of two types of indices among a plurality of types of scores are stored in a hard disk 5. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the distribution of values ​​of two types of indexes. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image of a room in a facility. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a weekly lifestyle pattern of a certain resident. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a recommendation screen that the system 100 displays on the monitor 8 based on rules. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which recommendations created by the system 100 using artificial intelligence are displayed on the monitor 8. [Figure 21] This is a graph showing the comparison of the malnutrition risk level of the facility in question with the average value. [Figure 22] This is a diagram showing a comparison of the status of activities of daily living at the relevant establishment with the average value. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of the components are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0021] First, we will explain the collection and utilization of information using the scientific nursing care information system LIFE, with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the flow of nursing care work before and after the introduction of LIFE. Figure 1(A) shows the flow of nursing care work before the introduction of LIFE. Figure 1(B) shows the flow of nursing care work after the introduction of LIFE.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1(A), before LIFE is introduced, in step S110, a care plan / rehabilitation (hereinafter referred to as "rehabilitation") implementation plan is created. In step S120, care / rehabilitation is implemented. In step S130, nursing care records / rehabilitation implementation records are entered into the system. In step S170, nursing care fee claims are processed.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1(B), after LIFE is introduced, a care plan / rehabilitation implementation plan is created in step S110. Care / rehabilitation is implemented in step S120. Care records / rehabilitation implementation records are input into the system in step S130.

[0024] Then, in step S140, information is collected. In step S150, the collected information is entered into the system (LIFE). In step S160, the data is sent.

[0025] In step S170, the nursing care fee claim process is performed. In step S180, the nursing care records, rehabilitation implementation records, and nursing care fee analysis results are downloaded. In step S190, the analysis results are fed back to the creation of the care plan / rehabilitation implementation plan (step S110).

[0026] <System Overview> Referring to Figure 2, a system 100 capable of acquiring information related to nursing care or rehabilitation will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of system 100 according to an embodiment. Examples of the monitored subjects are the residents in each room provided in the room area of ​​facility 180. In system 100 of Figure 2, rooms 110 and 120 are provided in the room area. Room 110 is assigned to resident 111. Room 120 is assigned to resident 121.

[0027] The system 100 includes a gateway server 130, a switching device 135, an access point 140, a management server 200, a sensor box 119, various devices that communicate with the sensor box 119, and mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, and 164.

[0028] The gateway server 130 connects the internal network (intranet) of the facility 180 to an external network 16 of the facility 180. The external network 16 is, for example, the Internet or a public telephone network. The external network 16 is also connected to a cloud server 150, a push server 160, and a wireless base station 195.

[0029] The switching device 135 connects each device in the internal network of the facility 180 to each other. In some aspects, a router or a switch may be used as the switching device 135. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the number of switching devices 135 is two, but the number is not limited to this. The internal network of the facility 180 may be configured by a combination of multiple switching devices 135.

[0030] The access point 140 is used to connect the mobile terminals 161 and 162 to the internal network of the facility 180. In one aspect, a Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) router can be used as the access point 140.

[0031] The management server 200 receives event information from the sensor box 119 in the facility 180 and manages information about the residents of each room. The management server 200 also communicates with mobile terminals 161 and 162, manages staff who carry those mobile terminals, and sends various notifications to each mobile terminal. Note that the management server 200 may use an external push server 160 when sending notifications to the mobile terminals 161 and 162. Also, an external cloud server 150 may have some or all of the functions of the management server 200.

[0032] The sensor box 119 acquires information about the residents 111, 121 in the rooms 110, 120 by linking with the camera and sensors built into its housing and various other sensors in the rooms 110, 120. This information may include images showing each resident's gait, body temperature, pulse rate, and other vital signs. The sensor box 119 also transmits the acquired information about the residents 111, 121 to the management server 200 via the internal network. Details of the sensor box 119 will be described later.

[0033] The mobile terminals 161, 162 are used by caregivers and other staff members engaged in care at the facility 180. The staff members can use the mobile terminals 161, 162 to input care records, etc. The mobile terminals 161, 162 transmit the care records to the management server 200. Furthermore, if a problem occurs with the residents 111, 121, the staff members use the mobile terminals 161, 162 to receive a notification from the management server 200. The mobile terminals 161, 162 are connected to the access point 140 within the facility 180 and communicate with the management server 200 via the internal network. In the example of this specification, the caregivers 141, 142, 143, and 144 each have the mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, and 164.

[0034] From outside the facility 180, the mobile terminals 163, 164 can communicate with the management server 200 via the gateway server 130 via a wireless base station 195 or the like. When the mobile terminals 163, 164 communicate with the management server 200 from outside the facility 180, some of the services provided by the management server 200 to the mobile terminals 163, 164 may be restricted in order to protect the information of the residents.

[0035] The number of other devices such as the mobile terminals 161 and 162, the access point 140, and the exchange device 135 is not limited to the number exemplified in FIG.

[0036] Each of the rooms 110 and 120 includes furniture 112, a bed 113, and a toilet 114 as its facilities. Door sensors 118 are installed on the doors of the rooms 110 and 120, respectively, to detect whether the doors are open or closed. A toilet sensor 116 is installed on the door of the toilet 114, to detect whether the toilet 114 is open or closed. An odor sensor 117 is installed on the bed 113, to acquire excretion information of the resident 111. The resident 111 wears a vital sensor 290 that detects vital information of the resident 111. One example of the detected vital information is the resident's body temperature. Another example is the resident's breathing. Another example is the resident's heart rate. Yet another example is two or more of these types of information. In the room 110, the resident 111 can operate a care call handset 115. When the resident 111 operates the care call handset 115, the care call handset 115 transmits a call signal, which is received by the sensor box 119. The sensor box 119 transmits the received call signal to the management server 200. The management server 200 transmits a signal to the mobile terminal 220 notifying that a call from the resident 111 has been received.

[0037] The sensor box 119 has built-in sensors for detecting the behavior of objects in the rooms 110 and 120. One example of a sensor is a Doppler sensor for detecting the movement of an object. Another example is a camera. Still other examples are the care call handset 115, the door sensor 118, the toilet sensor 116, the odor sensor 117, or the vital sign sensor 290. The sensor box 119 may include at least one of these sensors.

[0038] The configuration of the system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the system 100.

[0039] [Sensor Box 119] The sensor box 119 includes a control device 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, a communication interface 104, a camera 105, a Doppler sensor 106, a wireless communication device 107, and a storage device 108.

[0040] The control device 101 controls the sensor box 119. The control device 101 is configured, for example, by at least one integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is configured, for example, by at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or other processor, at least one ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0041] An antenna (not shown) and the like are connected to the communication interface 104. The sensor box 119 exchanges data with external communication devices via the antenna. The external communication devices include, for example, the management server 200, mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, 164 and other terminals, the access point 140, the cloud server 150, and other communication terminals.

[0042] In one implementation, the camera 105 is a near-infrared camera. The near-infrared camera includes an IR (Infrared) projector that projects near-infrared light. By using a near-infrared camera, images showing the interior of the rooms 110, 120 can be captured even at night. In another implementation, the camera 105 is a surveillance camera that receives only visible light. In still another implementation, the camera 105 may be a 3D sensor or a thermographic camera. The sensor box 119 and the camera 105 may be configured as an integrated unit or as a combination of separate devices.

[0043] The Doppler sensor 106 functions as a body movement sensor. The Doppler sensor 106 transmits and receives microwaves, ultrasound, and other radio waves to detect the behavior (movement) of objects (e.g., residents 111, care staff, etc.) in the rooms 110, 120. This allows the biological information of the residents 111, 121 in the rooms 110, 120 to be detected.

[0044] More specifically, the Doppler sensor 106 is connected to the control device 101 and, under the control of the control device 101, measures the movement of the chest surface of the resident 111 associated with breathing. The Doppler sensor 106 transmits microwaves or ultrasound waves (hereinafter also referred to as "transmitted waves"), receives microwaves or ultrasound waves reflected by an object (i.e., "reflected waves"), and outputs a Doppler signal of Doppler frequency components based on the transmitted waves and reflected waves. When an object is moving, the frequency of the reflected wave shifts in proportion to the object's moving speed due to the so-called Doppler effect. This results in a difference (Doppler frequency component) between the frequency of the transmitted wave and the frequency of the reflected wave. The Doppler sensor 106 generates a signal of this Doppler frequency component as a Doppler signal at a predetermined sampling rate and outputs the Doppler signal to the control device 101. When the control device 101 receives the Doppler signal from the Doppler sensor 106, it stores the received Doppler signal in chronological order in the storage device 108. When microwaves are used as transmission waves, the microwaves pass through clothing and are reflected by the body surface of resident 111. Therefore, even if resident 111 is wearing clothes, body surface movements can be detected.

[0045] In one example, each Doppler sensor 106 emits microwaves in the 24 GHz band toward the bed 113 in each room 110, 120, and receives waves reflected by the occupants 111, 121, etc. The reflected waves are Doppler shifted by the movements of the occupants 111, 121. The Doppler sensor 106 can detect the breathing state and heart rate of the occupants 111, 121 from the reflected waves.

[0046] The wireless communication device 107 receives signals from the care call handset 115, the door sensor 118, the toilet sensor 116, the odor sensor 117, and the vital sensor 290, and transmits the signals to the control device 101. The care call handset 115 includes a care call button 241. When the care call button 241 is operated, the care call handset 115 transmits a signal (e.g., a call signal) indicating that the operation has been performed. The transmitted signal is received by the wireless communication device 107. When the door sensor 118, the toilet sensor 116, the odor sensor 117, and the vital sensor 290 transmit their respective detection results, the transmitted signals are received by the wireless communication device 107.

[0047] The storage device 108 is, for example, a fixed storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk, or a recording medium such as an external storage device. The storage device 108 stores programs executed by the control device 101 and various data used to execute the programs. The various data may include behavioral information of the residents 111, 121. Details of the behavioral information will be described later.

[0048] At least one of the above programs and data may be stored in a storage device other than storage device 108 (for example, a storage area of ​​control device 101 (for example, cache memory, etc.), ROM 102, RAM 103, external device (for example, management server 200 or mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, 164, etc.)) as long as the storage device is accessible by control device 101.

[0049] [Behavioral Information] Next, the behavior information in this embodiment will be described. The behavior information is, for example, information indicating that the resident 111, 121 has performed a predetermined behavior. In one example, the predetermined behavior includes four behaviors: "getting up" indicating that the resident 111, 121 has woken up, "getting out of bed" indicating that the resident 111, 121 has left the bed (bedding) 113, "falling" indicating that the resident 111, 121 has fallen off the bed (bedding) 113, and "falling down" indicating that the resident 111, 121 has collapsed.

[0050] Furthermore, the behavioral information may include actions that the resident performs to refuse to receive care, such as shaking off the caregiver with their hands, trying to kick the caregiver with their legs, clinging to the bed 113 and refusing to be changed, etc.

[0051] In one embodiment, the control device 101 generates behavioral information for each of the residents 111, 121 associated with each of the rooms 110, 120 based on images captured by the cameras 105 installed in each of the rooms 110, 120. For example, the control device 101 detects the heads of the residents 111, 121 from the images, and based on changes in the size of the detected heads of the residents 111, 121 over time, detects information such as "refusal of care" in addition to the usual information such as "getting up," "getting out of bed," "falling," and "falling down" of the residents 111, 121. A specific example of generating behavioral information will be described in more detail below.

[0052] First, the storage device 108 stores the location area of ​​each bed 113 in the living room 110, 120, a first threshold value Th1, a second threshold value Th2, and a third threshold value Th3. The first threshold value Th1 distinguishes the size of the resident's head between a lying position and a sitting position within the location area of ​​the bed 113. The second threshold value Th2 distinguishes whether the resident is in a standing position or not based on the size of the resident's head within the living room 110, 120 excluding the location area of ​​the bed 113. The third threshold value Th3 distinguishes whether the resident is in a lying position or not based on the size of the resident's head within the living room 110, 120 excluding the location area of ​​the bed 113.

[0053] The control device 101 extracts moving object regions from the target image as regions of the occupants 111, 121, for example, by background subtraction or frame subtraction. The control device 101 further extracts the head regions of the occupants 111, 121 from the extracted moving object regions by, for example, a circular or elliptical Hough transform, pattern matching using a pre-prepared head model, and using a threshold derived by a neural network trained for head detection. The control device 101 detects "getting up," "getting out of bed," "falling," and "falling down" from the position and size of the extracted head.

[0054] The control device 101 may determine that the action "getting up" has occurred when it detects that the position of the head extracted as described above is within the location area of ​​the bed 113 and that the size of the head extracted as described above has changed from the size of a lying position to the size of a sitting position by using the first threshold value Th1.

[0055] When the position of the head extracted as described above moves from within the area where the bed 113 is located to outside the area where the bed 113 is located, the control device 101 may apply a second threshold value Th2 to the size of the head extracted as described above, and when it detects that the head has changed from a certain size to the size of an upright position, determine that the action of "leaving bed" has occurred.

[0056] When the position of the head extracted as described above moves from within the area where the bed 113 is located to outside the area where the bed 113 is located, the control device 101 may apply a third threshold value Th3 to the size of the head extracted as described above, and when it detects that the head has changed from a certain size to the size of a recumbent position, determine that the behavior of "falling" has occurred.

[0057] The control device 101 may determine that the behavior of "falling" has occurred if it detects that the position of the head extracted as described above is located within the room 110, 120 excluding the area where the bed 113 is located, and that the size of the extracted head has changed from a certain size to the size of a lying position by using a third threshold value Th3.

[0058] Furthermore, the control device 101 detects the caregiver in addition to the resident from the image data and estimates the distance between the resident and the caregiver. If the control device estimates that the distance is shorter than a predetermined normal distance, it can determine that care refusal behavior is occurring. Furthermore, if the control device 101 determines that the resident's movements are abnormal, it can determine that the resident is exhibiting care refusal behavior toward the caregiver.

[0059] In this manner, in one specific example, the control device 101 of the sensor box 119 generates behavioral information of each of the residents 111 and 121. Note that in the system 100 according to another aspect, an element other than the control device 101 (for example, the cloud server 150) may generate behavioral information of the residents 111 and 121 using images of the inside of the rooms 110 and 120.

[0060] [Mobile terminal 220] Mobile terminal 220 includes control device 221, ROM 222, RAM 223, communication interface 224, display 226, storage device 228, and input device 229. In one aspect, mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, and 164 are realized as, for example, smartphones, tablet terminals, wristwatch-type terminals, or other wearable devices.

[0061] The control device 221 controls the mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, and 164. The control device 221 is configured, for example, by at least one integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is configured, for example, by at least one CPU, at least one ASIC, at least one FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0062] An antenna (not shown) and the like are connected to the communication interface 224. The mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, and 164 exchange data with external communication devices via the antenna and the access point 140. Examples of the external communication devices include the sensor box 119 and the management server 200.

[0063] Display 226 is realized by, for example, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a liquid crystal display, etc. Input device 229 is realized by, for example, a touch sensor provided on display 226. The touch sensor receives a touch operation on mobile terminals 161, 162, 163, and 164, and outputs a signal corresponding to the touch operation to control device 221.

[0064] The storage device 228 is realized by, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk or other fixed storage device, or a removable data recording medium.

[0065] In one aspect, the control device 101 distinguishes between going to bed, lying down, getting up, getting out of bed, falling, tipping over, and abnormal slight body movement, for example, as follows: The area in the target image where the bed 113 is located (the area where the bed 113 is located) is stored in advance in the ROM 102 as one of various data. Furthermore, each threshold value and the duration determination time are appropriately set from a plurality of samples, and are stored in advance in the ROM 102 as one of various data.

[0066] [Coming to bed] In determining whether to admit to bed, the control device 101 provisionally determines that the person has admitted to bed if the previous state variable (variable that stores the behavior determination result) was "leaving bed" and the person area extracted this time from the target image acquired from the camera 105, for example by background subtraction, completely overlaps the area where the bed 113 is located (if the person area is completely within the area where the bed 113 is located), and if the duration of this complete overlap state continues beyond the stay-in-bed continuation determination time, the control device 101 finally determines that the person has admitted to bed and detects admission to bed. The control device 101 updates the state variable to "stay-in-bed." The stay-in-bed continuation determination time is used as a threshold for finally determining that the person has admitted to bed, which was provisionally determined based on the complete overlap between the extracted person area and the area where the bed 113 is located, is admitted to bed.

[0067] [Lying down] "Lying in bed" refers to a state in which a resident (person to be monitored) is lying down in bed 113. For example, when the area occupied by the resident in the image is included in the area of ​​bed 113 and the amount of movement of the resident is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, control device 101 detects "lying in bed" as the behavior information of the resident.

[0068] [Wake up] In determining whether or not a person has woken up, the control device 101 provisionally determines that the person has woken up if the previous state variable was "lying down" and the area of ​​the person area extracted from the target image acquired from the camera 105 that currently extends beyond the area where the bed 113 is located is equal to or greater than the wake-up determination threshold and less than the bed-leaving determination threshold. The control device 101 finally determines that the person has woken up and detects the person having woken up if the duration of the area in which the area is equal to or greater than the wake-up determination threshold and less than the bed-leaving determination threshold exceeds the continued wake-up determination time. The control device 101 updates the state variable to "wake-up." The wake-up determination threshold is used to determine whether or not a person has woken up based on the size of the area. The bed-leaving determination threshold is used to determine whether or not a person has woken up based on the size of the area. The bed-leaving determination threshold is set to a value greater than the wake-up determination threshold. The continued wake-up determination time is used as a threshold for finally determining that a person has woken up, which was provisionally determined by comparing the area with the wake-up determination threshold.

[0069] [Getting out of bed] In determining whether or not a person has left bed, the control device 101 provisionally determines that the person has left bed if the previous state variable was either "in bed" or "wake up" and the area of ​​the person area extracted from the target image acquired this time from the camera 105 that extends beyond the area where the bed 113 is located is equal to or greater than the bed exit determination threshold. If the duration of time that the area remains equal to or greater than the bed exit determination threshold exceeds the continued bed exit determination time, the control device 101 finally determines that the person has left bed and detects the person having left bed. The control device 101 updates the state variable to "out of bed". The continued bed exit determination time is used as a threshold for finally determining that the person has left bed, which was provisionally determined by comparing the area with the bed exit determination threshold.

[0070] [Fall] In determining whether a fall has occurred, the control device 101 determines that a fall has occurred and detects a fall if the size of the head region of the person region extracted from the target image acquired this time from the camera 105 is equal to or smaller than the lying posture determination threshold, the rate of change in the size of the head region is equal to or greater than the fall determination speed threshold, and the person region is within a fall determination region set around the area where the bed 113 is located. The lying posture determination threshold is used to determine whether the size of the head region is in a lying posture. Whether the posture is lying or sitting is determined based on the size of the head region. The fall determination speed threshold is used to determine whether a fall has occurred based on the rate of change in the size of the head region.

[0071] [fall down] In determining whether a fall has occurred, the control device 101 determines that a fall has occurred and detects a fall if the size of the head area of ​​the person area extracted from the target image acquired this time from the camera 105 is equal to or smaller than the recumbent posture determination threshold, the speed of change in the size of the head area is equal to or greater than the fall determination speed threshold, and the person area is located in an area excluding the area where the bed 113 is located and the fall determination area. The fall determination speed threshold is used to determine whether or not a fall has occurred based on the speed of change in the size of the head area.

[0072] [Microbody movement abnormality] Micro-movement abnormalities are detected based on the Doppler signals output from the Doppler sensor 106. More specifically, the control device 101 performs, for example, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the Doppler signals measured within a predetermined time period from the time of measurement to the past, and calculates the average amplitude in a frequency band corresponding to the general breathing frequency from the spectrum obtained by the FFT. The control device 101 compares the calculated average with a threshold value for determining whether or not micro-movement abnormalities exist. If the calculated average value is equal to or less than the threshold value, the control device 101 provisionally determines that micro-movement abnormalities exist. If the duration of the state in which the average value is equal to or less than the threshold value exceeds a predetermined determination time, the control device 101 finally determines that micro-movement abnormalities exist, thereby detecting micro-movement abnormalities. The control device 101 updates the state variable with "micro-movement abnormality." The determination time is used as a threshold value for finally determining that micro-movement abnormalities provisionally determined by comparing the calculated average value with the micro-movement abnormality determination threshold are micro-movement abnormalities.

[0073] When the control device 101 detects the predetermined behavior from the behavior of the resident in this way, it transmits an event notification signal including event information indicating the content of the predetermined event related to the resident to the management server 200 via the communication interface 104. More specifically, the control device 101 transmits an event notification signal including the sensor ID of the sensor box 119, event information indicating the content of the event, and the target image used when detecting getting into bed, getting up, getting out of bed, falling, and tipping over to the management server 200 via the communication interface 104.

[0074] In one embodiment, the event information includes one or more of: going to bed, lying down, getting up, getting out of bed, falling, tipping over, abnormal slight body movement, and care call. Here, the control device 101 includes one or more of the detected going to bed, getting up, getting out of bed, falling, tipping over, and abnormal slight body movement as event information in the event notification signal. The image may include at least one of a still image and a video. In one embodiment, as described below, for example, a still image may first be transmitted from the sensor box 119 to the management server 200, and a video may be distributed in response to a request from a user (e.g., a caregiver, administrator, doctor, or other staff member). Note that in other aspects, the video may be distributed first. Alternatively, the still image and the video may be transmitted to the management server 200, and the mobile terminal 220 may display the still image or the video on the display 226 in a split-screen format based on a signal transmitted from the management server 200.

[0075] When the care call handset 115 receives a nurse call, the control device 101 transmits an event notification signal to the management server 200, including the event notification signal as another example of a predetermined event, and establishes a voice call with the mobile terminal 220 using a speaker (not shown) or the like. More specifically, when the care call button 241 is operated, a signal corresponding to the operation is received by the wireless communication device 107. The sensor box 119 generates an event notification signal including its sensor ID and a nurse call as event information, and transmits the event notification signal to the management server 200 via the communication interface 104. The control device 101 establishes a voice call, for example, by VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), between the microphone (not shown) and speaker (not shown) of the care call handset 115 and the mobile terminal 220 via the wireless communication device 107.

[0076] When the control device 101 receives a request for video distribution from an image display device such as the management server 200, the cloud server 150, or the mobile terminal 220 via the communication interface 104, it responds to the request by streaming video (e.g., live video) captured by the camera 105 and distributing the video to the image display device.

[0077] [Overview of monitoring] Monitoring using the system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the system 100 using a sensor box 119.

[0078] System 100 is used to monitor residents 111, 121 and other residents who are the targets of monitoring (surveillance). A sensor box 119 is attached to the ceiling of room 110. Similar sensor boxes 119 are attached to the other rooms.

[0079] The range 31 represents the detection range of the sensor box 119. If the sensor box 119 has the aforementioned Doppler sensor, the Doppler sensor detects human behavior occurring within the range 31. If the sensor box 119 has a camera as a sensor, the camera captures images within the range 31.

[0080] The sensor box 119 is installed, for example, in a nursing home, a medical facility, a home, etc. In the example of Fig. 4, the sensor box 119 is attached to the ceiling and captures an image of the resident 111 and the bed 113 from the ceiling. The location where the sensor box 119 is attached is not limited to the ceiling, and it may be attached to a side wall of the room 110.

[0081] The system 100 detects danger to the resident 111 based on a series of images (i.e., video) obtained from the camera 105. As an example, detectable dangers include the resident 111 falling, the resident 111 being in a dangerous location (e.g., a bed rail), etc.

[0082] When the system 100 detects that the resident 111 is in danger, it notifies the caregivers 141, 142, etc. As an example of a notification method, the system 100 notifies the mobile terminals 161, 162 of the caregivers 141, 142 of the danger of the resident 111. When the mobile terminals 161, 162 receive the notification, they notify the caregivers 141, 142 of the danger of the resident 111 by a message, sound, vibration, etc. This allows the caregivers 141, 142 to immediately know that the resident 111 is in danger and to rush to the resident 111's aid quickly.

[0083] Furthermore, the system 100 can also notify the mobile terminals 163, 164 of the caregivers 143, 144 outside the facility of the danger via the wireless base station 195.

[0084] 4 shows an example in which system 100 includes one sensor box 119, but in another aspect, system 100 may include multiple sensor boxes 119. Also, while FIG. 4 shows an example in which system 100 includes multiple mobile terminals 161, 162, in another aspect, system 100 can also be realized with a single mobile terminal.

[0085] [Computer system configuration] The configuration of a computer system 400, which is one aspect of an information processing device, will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the computer system 400. The computer system 400 functions as a gateway server 130, a cloud server 150, a push server 160, or a management server 200.

[0086] The computer system 400 mainly comprises the following components: a CPU 1 that executes programs; a mouse 2 and keyboard 3 that receive instructions input by the user of the computer system 400; a RAM 4 that volatilely stores data generated by the CPU 1 executing the programs or data input via the mouse 2 or keyboard 3; a hard disk 5 that nonvolatilely stores data; an optical disk drive 6; a communication interface (I / F) 7; and a monitor 8. The components are interconnected by a data bus. A CD-ROM 9 or other optical disk is inserted into the optical disk drive 6.

[0087] Processing in the computer system 400 is realized by software executed by each piece of hardware and the CPU 1. Such software may be pre-stored on the hard disk 5. Alternatively, the software may be stored on a CD-ROM 9 or other recording medium and distributed as a computer program. Alternatively, the software may be provided as a downloadable application program by an information provider connected to the Internet. Such software is read from the recording medium by an optical disk drive 6 or other reading device, or downloaded via the communication interface 7, and then temporarily stored on the hard disk 5. The software is read from the hard disk 5 by the CPU 1 and stored in the RAM 4 in the form of an executable program. The CPU 1 executes the program.

[0088] Each component constituting the computer system 400 shown in FIG. 5 is a general component. Therefore, one essential part of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure can be said to be software stored in the RAM 4, hard disk 5, CD-ROM 9, or other recording medium, or software downloadable via a network. The recording medium may include a non-transitory computer-readable data recording medium. Note that the operation of each piece of hardware in the computer system 400 is well known, so detailed description will not be repeated.

[0089] The recording medium is not limited to a CD-ROM, a FD (Flexible Disk), or a hard disk, but may also be a medium that carries a program in a fixed manner, such as a magnetic tape, a cassette tape, an optical disk (MO (Magnetic Optical Disc) / MD (Mini Disc) / DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)), an IC (Integrated Circuit) card (including a memory card), an optical card, a mask ROM, an EPROM (Electronically Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), or a semiconductor memory such as a flash ROM.

[0090] The program referred to here includes not only a program that can be directly executed by a CPU, but also a source program, a compressed program, an encrypted program, and the like.

[0091] [Data Structure] The data structure of system 100 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 shows an example of a database stored on hard disk 5 of system 100. Hard disk 5 holds tables 610 and 620.

[0092] Table 610 manages information about each resident in a facility that uses system 100. As an example, table 610 includes a resident ID (Identification) 611, a resident name 612, and an assistance / care level 613. Resident ID 611 is a symbol or number that identifies a resident residing in a facility that uses system 100. Resident name 612 indicates the name of the resident. Assistance / care level 613 indicates the level of assistance or care required by the resident.

[0093] Table 620 holds aggregated data related to the residents of the facility. As an example, table 620 includes support / care level 621 and percentage 622. Support / care level 621 encompasses the "degree of support or care required" considered in LIFE. Percentage 622 represents the proportion of residents classified into each support / care level. Therefore, the sum of each percentage is approximately 100%. Percentage 622 can be compared with the percentages of other facilities.

[0094] 7 is a diagram showing an example of data to be compared with the facility data. The hard disk 5 stores a table 710 and a table 720.

[0095] Table 710 stores the national average support / care levels for each facility nationwide, including the facility in question. Table 710 includes support / care levels 711 and percentages 712. Support / care levels 711, like support / care levels 621, cover the "degree to which support or care is needed" considered in LIFE. Percentages 712 represent the ratio of residents classified into each support / care level.

[0096] Table 720 holds a database of other special nursing homes for comparison. Table 720 includes support / care level 721 and proportion 722. Support / care level 721, like support / care level 711, covers the "degree of support or care required" considered in LIFE. Proportion 722 represents the proportion of residents classified into each support / care level.

[0097] The database of comparison targets (tables 710, 720) shown in Fig. 7 is downloaded from other systems each time a comparison target is selected, and is used as the comparison target in system 100. Note that the facilities and special nursing homes shown in Fig. 7 as comparison targets are merely examples, and other care facilities (for example, paid nursing homes, nursing homes for the elderly) may also be used as comparison targets.

[0098] FIG. 8 shows an example of a database stored on the hard disk 5 for presenting rehabilitation menus and other messages tailored to each resident to care staff. The hard disk 5 stores a table 800. The table 800 includes a judgment result ID 810 and a recommended menu 820. The judgment result ID 810 classifies the level of care provided by the care staff based on the care records of the care staff. The recommended menu 820 presents each resident's current condition and a rehabilitation menu suitable for the resident. The system 100 uses the care records entered by the care staff and the detection results of each sensor transmitted from the sensor box 119 installed in each room to judge the current condition of the resident according to predetermined criteria and associates a judgment result ID with the resident. When the care staff enters the resident ID into the system 100 to check the current condition of the resident, the system 100 retrieves the recommended menu 820 associated with the judgment result ID and displays the recommended menu 820 on the monitor 8.

[0099] [Control Structure] The control structure of system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing part of the processing executed by CPU 1 of system 100.

[0100] In step S910, the CPU 1 acquires information about the residents of the facility, including the resident ID, the resident name, the support / care level, and the like.

[0101] In step S920, the CPU 1 receives information from an external system (for example, a system functioning as LIFE) other than the system 100. The received information includes the national average value of each nursing care facility for the level of support / care, or the average value for each type of facility, such as a paid nursing home or a special nursing home for the elderly, etc.

[0102] In step S930, the CPU 1 analyzes the resident's condition to determine the current state of the resident. The resident's condition includes a comprehensive condition, such as a level of assistance required or a level of nursing care required, as well as more detailed conditions. The detailed conditions include nutritional status, cognitive function status, BI (Barthel Index) score, activity time, rehabilitation content, etc.

[0103] In step S940, CPU 1 detects changes in the condition of individual residents or changes in trends across the entire facility. For example, CPU 1 compares the resident's condition (nutritional status, cognitive function status, BI score, activity time, rehabilitation content, etc.) acquired in step S930 with the same resident's condition acquired last time to calculate differences and detect changes in the individual resident's condition. Furthermore, CPU 1 calculates differences for each resident residing in the facility by comparing the resident's condition acquired this time with the resident's condition acquired last time, calculates the sum of these differences, and detects changes in trends across the entire facility. In some cases, CPU 1 outputs the results of this comparison as a determination result ID (FIG. 8).

[0104] In step S950, in response to the detection of a change, the CPU 1 displays on the monitor 8 a comparison table between the data of the facility and average data based on information from the external system. For example, when the CPU 1 detects that the condition of one of the residents of the facility has improved or worsened, the CPU 1 displays the average value of the facility and the national average value obtained from the external system in a manner that allows comparison. For example, the CPU 1 displays the average value of the facility and the national average value for the proportion of support / care levels required.

[0105] In step S960, the CPU 1 selects a recommended program for improving the resident's condition based on the result of the comparison. For example, the CPU 1 selects a recommended program for improving the resident's current condition based on a database of recommended programs predefined for each level of assistance / care required by the resident.

[0106] In step S970, the CPU 1 displays the recommended programs on the monitor 8.

[0107] [Screen display example] A screen display mode in system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on monitor 8 of system 100.

[0108] 10(A) is a diagram showing a comparison between a certain facility and the average value of facilities of the same type nationwide. The bar graph for a certain facility ("your facility") shows the percentage of each resident requiring assistance / care level obtained by the process described with reference to FIG. 9. The bar graph for the "national average" shows the percentage of assistance / care level required for facilities of the same type nationwide obtained from an external system to which system 100 is connected (for example, a server managed by an authority that manages and supervises facilities).

[0109] 10(B) is a diagram showing a comparison between a certain facility and the average value of special nursing homes of the same type nationwide. The bar graph for a certain facility ("Your Facility"), like the bar graph shown in FIG. 10(A), shows the percentage of each resident requiring assistance / care level obtained by the process described with reference to FIG. 9. The bar graph for the "National Average" shows the percentage of special nursing homes requiring assistance / care level for the entire country obtained from an external system to which system 100 is connected (for example, a server managed by an authority that manages and supervises facilities).

[0110] By displaying such comparative bar graphs on Monitor 8, staff at the facility (your business) can compare the average value of their facility with the average value of other similar facilities nationwide or with the average value of other types of facilities (for example, special nursing homes for the elderly, paid nursing homes, elderly health facilities, etc.), allowing them to understand the current situation and making it easier to adopt improvement measures (i.e., improving the proportion of people requiring support or nursing care) in a timely manner.

[0111] [Comparison by facility size and staff allocation] Another comparative example will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 shows an example of a database showing the status of support / care levels for each facility size according to the number of staff. Figure 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on monitor 8 based on the database. The database is acquired from an external system and stored on hard disk 5 of system 100.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 11 , more specifically, the hard disk 5 stores a table 1100. The table 1100 includes data areas 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, and 1150. The data area 1110 stores data defining a support / care level 1110. The data area 1120 stores the average value of each support or care level for facilities with fewer than 30 staff members. The data area 1130 stores the average value of each support or care level for facilities with 30 to less than 60 staff members. The data area 1140 stores the average value of each support or care level for facilities with 60 to less than 100 staff members. The data area 1130 stores the average value of each support or care level for facilities with 100 or more staff members.

[0113] Referring to Fig. 12, monitor 8 of system 100 displays a screen based on the database shown in Fig. 11. Specifically, graph (A) shows the distribution percentage of support / care levels at the facility. Graph (A) is displayed based on table 620 (Fig. 6(B)).

[0114] Graph (B) shows the distribution percentage of support / care levels in facilities with 30 or fewer users. Graph (C) shows the distribution percentage of support / care levels in facilities with 30 to 60 users. Graph (D) shows the distribution percentage of support / care levels in facilities with 60 to 100 users. Graph (E) shows the distribution percentage of support / care levels in facilities with 100 or more users.

[0115] By displaying a bar graph such as that shown in Figure 12, the facility administrator, staff, or care manager can compare the current situation with other facilities of different sizes and find opportunities to consider improvement measures.

[0116] [Display by resident attribute values] Other aspects will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating one aspect of storage of various databases (also called "scores") acquired for each resident. Figure 14 is a diagram showing another example of a screen displayed on monitor 8 based on the databases.

[0117] Referring to FIG. 13, hard disk 5 holds a plurality of tables 1310, 1320, 1330, etc. Each table includes an ADL (Activity of Daily Living) score, sleep time, activity time, number of walking animations, and weight acquired for each resident. More specifically, each table includes data areas 1311, 1312, 1313, 1314, 1315, 1316, 1317, and 1318. Data area 1311 stores a resident ID. Data area 1312 stores a resident name. Data area 1313 stores an acquisition date and time. Data area 1314 stores an ADL score. Data area 1315 stores sleeping time. Data area 1316 stores activity time. Data area 1317 stores the number of walking animations. Data area 1318 stores weight.

[0118] Each table 1310, 1320, 1330, etc. holds data acquired at the timing indicated by the acquisition date and time (data area 1313), and constitutes a history of information representing the status of each resident. The interval at which data is acquired may be, for example, daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc. This interval can be set arbitrarily by the facility administrator and can also be changed as appropriate.

[0119] 14(A), in one aspect, the monitor 8 of the system 100 displays the residents in descending order of ADL score. More specifically, when the data shown in FIG. 13 is acquired, the resident data is sorted in descending order of ADL score, and the list is displayed on the monitor 8.

[0120] 14(B), in another aspect, the monitor 8 displays a list of residents whose ADL scores have changed. For example, the system 100 calculates the difference between the ADL score currently acquired (e.g., data area 1314 of table 1310) and the ADL score previously acquired (e.g., data area 1314 of table 1320), and displays the names of the residents in descending order of the difference. This allows the administrator or care manager, who is a user of the system 100, to easily find residents whose ADL evaluation scores have changed.

[0121] 14, the residents are displayed in descending order of the ADL score itself or the difference in the ADL score, but the criteria for rearranging the residents are not limited to the ADL score. Similarly, for data other than the ADL score, the records of the residents may be rearranged and displayed in descending order of the data itself or the difference in the amount of change in the data. Data other than the ADL score may include, for example, nutritional status (e.g., serum albumin level), dementia assessment (e.g., Dementia Behavior Scale (DBD) 13, Vitality Index (motivation index), Hasegawa Dementia Scale), etc.

[0122] The arrangement criteria are not limited to descending order, and may be ascending order. The display format is not limited to sorted display, and may be displayed starting from residents whose indicators (ADL score, sleep time, activity time, walking video count, etc.) are below (or above) a preset standard value.

[0123] In still other aspects, the sleep status in the room, the amount of activity (time spent standing, time spent sitting, etc.), videos tagged with scenes, and the number of videos (walking, getting out of bed, transferring, etc.) may be further displayed. By displaying this information in addition to the list exemplified in Figure 14(A) or Figure 14(B), the care staff and care managers can verify the meaning of each piece of data while checking the actual aspects of daily life in the facility.

[0124] [Multiplying multiple scores] Another aspect will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. Figure 15 is a diagram conceptually showing an example in which values ​​of two types of indices among multiple types of scores are stored in hard disk 5. Figure 16 is a diagram showing the distribution of values ​​of the two types of indices.

[0125] 15, the hard disk 5 stores a table 1500. The table 1500 includes a resident ID 1510, a resident name 1520, a current value of the first index 1530, a previous value of the first index 1540, a current value of the second index 1550, and a previous value of the second index 1560.

[0126] Resident ID 1510 identifies a resident of the facility. Resident name 1520 represents the name of the resident. Current value 1530 of first index is the most recently acquired value for one of the multiple indexes, for example, the Barthel Index (BI). Previous value 1540 of first index is the previously acquired value for that one index. Current value 1550 of second index is the value for another of the multiple indexes, for example, the Hasegawa Scale. Previous value 1560 of second index is the previously acquired value for that other index.

[0127] The timing at which each indicator is acquired may be at predetermined regular intervals, such as every month, every two months, every quarter, or every six months, or may be acquired each time in response to an instruction from the user of system 100.

[0128] As shown in Figure 16, the monitor 8 displays a distribution chart 1600. The distribution chart 1600 is composed of two types of indices, namely, the Barthel Index total score and the Hasegawa Scale total score. By displaying the two types of indices on the monitor 8, the care manager and care staff can understand the presence or degree of correlation between the two indices regarding the condition of the residents at the facility.

[0129] In one aspect, distribution map 1600 has a user interface function. Specifically, each point plotted on distribution map 1600 is associated with information about the resident for whom the index value was calculated. This information includes the resident's name, the currently acquired index value, and the previously acquired index value. In this case, when a facility administrator, care manager, or other user of system 100 selects a point on distribution map 1600, such as point 1610, with a mouse or performs a touch operation to select point 1610 on touch-panel monitor 8, monitor 8 pops up screen 1620 associated with point 1610. This allows the user to use distribution map 1600 to grasp overall trends, such as the correlation between two types of indexes, while easily identifying specific residents at individual points that show significant trends.

[0130] [Video tagged] Another example will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing images of a room in a facility. In one aspect, monitor 8 may display multiple images 1710, 1720, and 1730. Image 1710 shows the state of a room photographed in April 2020. Image 1720 shows the state of a room photographed in May 2020. Image 1730 shows the state of a room photographed in June 2020.

[0131] When a change is detected in an observation item for a certain resident, the system 100 displays the data for that item, reads out from the database on the hard disk 5 a video including the time when the data was detected, and displays it on the monitor 8. The content of the video may include, in addition to movement within the room, behavioral information such as getting up, getting out of bed, falling, and tumbling.

[0132] By viewing the video images along with the data, the care manager or care staff can investigate the cause of the change in the resident's condition. Note that the video images that are read out are not limited to those described above. For example, in addition to the most recent data in which a change was detected, data from six months or a year ago may also be read out. By displaying multiple video images so that they can be compared, it is possible to more accurately confirm how the resident's condition has changed over time.

[0133] [Displaying lifestyle patterns] Another example will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing the weekly lifestyle pattern of a certain resident. The camera 105 provided in the sensor box 119 takes pictures from the ceiling of the room. The state of the room is analyzed and classified as asleep 1810, awake 1820, out of bed 1830, and absent 1840.

[0134] The CPU 1 of the system 100 uses the classified data to add up the time for each classified item and determine the activity level or inactivity level of the resident of the room. For example, if the nighttime sleep time (e.g., 9 hours) of a resident of a certain room exceeds a predetermined standard time (e.g., 8 hours), and the proportion of time (stay rate) that the resident spends in the room during the day (e.g., 7:00 to 19:00) exceeds a predetermined time (proportion), the CPU 1 may determine that the resident is in an inactive state.

[0135] On the other hand, if the other resident's nighttime sleep time is standard (e.g., 7 to 9 hours) and their daytime stay rate is within a predetermined range, CPU1 may determine that the other resident tends to stay in the room.

[0136] [Care and rehabilitation plan recommendations] Recommendations presented by system 100 will be described with reference to Figures 19 and 20. Figure 19 is a diagram showing an example of a recommendation screen that system 100 displays on monitor 8 on a rule-based basis. For example, when CPU 1 executes the process of step 970, this screen is displayed on monitor 8. Alternatively, recommendations selected by system 100 may be transmitted to mobile terminal 220 and displayed on display 226 of mobile terminal 220 used by each staff member.

[0137] The screen shown in FIG. 19(A) recommends that a certain resident review their dietary habits because their nutritional status is presumed to be deteriorating.

[0138] The screen shown in FIG. 19(B) indicates that the other residents have been found to have a decline in cognitive function, and recommends that they undergo rehabilitation to prevent this decline.

[0139] The screen shown in Figure 19(C) recommends that the other residents should be more proactive in their rehabilitation because their BI scores have decreased.

[0140] In one aspect, the system 100 calculates the difference between the previously acquired data and the currently acquired data for an item (e.g., nutritional status, cognitive function, BI score, etc.) that has been preset as an item to be used for assessment. If the difference is greater than a preset amount of change, i.e., if the system 100 determines that the index has worsened, it reads out a recommendation prepared in advance for that item from the database and displays the recommendation on the monitor 8.

[0141] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which recommendations created by the system 100 using artificial intelligence are displayed on the monitor 8.

[0142] In another aspect, when the system 100 detects changes in multiple items (for example, feedback values ​​from LIFE and other systems, and sleep time and activity time acquired by the sensor box 119) for a certain resident, the system 100 may use artificial intelligence to make a comprehensive recommendation. In this case, the system 100 also uses artificial intelligence to determine a rehabilitation menu suitable for the resident's condition, and displays the recommendation on the monitor 8.

[0143] By looking at the recommendations shown in Figure 19 or Figure 20, facility staff can easily identify areas that need to be changed in the care plan or rehabilitation plan, and optimize the content to suit the resident's current situation.

[0144] [Other examples of analysis items] Display examples of analysis results for other items will be described with reference to Figures 21 and 22. Figure 21 is a diagram showing a comparison between the malnutrition risk level of the relevant establishment and the average value. Figure 22 is a diagram showing a comparison between the ADL (excretion) status of the relevant establishment and the average value.

[0145] As shown in Figure 21(A), monitor 8 compares the facility using system 100 (equivalent to your facility) with the national average for each level of malnutrition risk (low risk, medium risk, high risk). National average data is obtained from an external system to which system 100 connects, such as a server operated by a government agency or organization. Graphs such as those shown in Figure 21(A) allow facility managers and care staff to understand the current state of the facility, making it easier to consider measures that will lead to improvements in indicators.

[0146] The user may select a comparison target for the facility other than the national average. For example, the user may select a special nursing home as the comparison target. In this case, as shown in FIG. 21(B), the system 100 displays data on the monitor 8 about the special nursing home acquired from an external system as the comparison target for the facility. Therefore, if the facility itself is a special nursing home, it becomes possible to compare it with the average value of facilities of the same type, making it easier for the facility manager and care staff to accurately consider measures for improvement (such as care plans and rehabilitation).

[0147] Next, Figure 22(A) shows the status of excretion, one of the ADLs, allowing a comparison between the facility and the national average. As in the case of Figure 21(A), the facility manager and care staff can know the current status of the facility, making it easier to consider measures to improve the indicators.

[0148] Figure 22(B) shows a comparison when a special nursing home is selected as the comparison target for the facility. In this case, as in the case shown in Figure 21(B), if the facility itself is a special nursing home for the elderly, it becomes possible to compare it with the average value of facilities of the same type, making it easier for the facility's administrator and care staff to accurately consider measures for improvement (care plans, rehabilitation, etc.).

[0149] Some of the technical features disclosed above can be summarized as follows:

[0150] [Configuration 1] A CPU 1 of a system 100 that provides information to support nursing care receives, from another information system (e.g., LIFE), aggregated data (e.g., national averages of the proportions of those requiring assistance and nursing care, average values ​​for each type of facility, such as special nursing homes) that classify the status of residents of each facility, aggregated by type. The CPU 1 receives data for one or more items obtained by sensing the status of the residents of each room from each sensor box 119 that is placed in each room and connected to a computer. The CPU 1 uses the data received from each sensor box 119 to calculate individual data that classifies the status of each resident of the facility. The CPU 1 displays the individual data and the aggregated data for any of the multiple types of facilities on a monitor connected to the computer in a comparable manner (e.g., as a bar graph or line graph).

[0151] [Configuration 2] At a certain stage, the resident's condition includes the degree of assistance or care required (Assistance Level 1, Care Level 1, etc.), nutritional level (low risk, medium risk, high risk, etc.), or the status of daily living activities (for excretion, whether the resident uses a toilet outside the room, a toilet inside the room, a portable toilet, or diapers, etc.).

[0152] [Configuration 3] In a certain situation, the CPU 1 displays individual data and aggregated data for facilities of the same type as the facility for which the individual data was aggregated on the monitor 8. For example, if a certain facility is a special nursing home, the average value of the data for special nursing homes nationwide is displayed as aggregated data for comparison.

[0153] [Configuration 4] In a method according to a certain aspect, a CPU 1 receives an input for changing one of a plurality of types (for example, a special nursing home displayed as a comparison target) to another type (a long-term care facility for the elderly). The CPU 1 displays individual data and aggregated data for the changed type of facility.

[0154] [Configuration 5] In a method according to a certain aspect, CPU 1 displays on monitor 8 individual data and data obtained by classifying aggregate data according to the number of users of any type of facility.

[0155] [Configuration 6] In a method according to one aspect, the CPU 1 displays on the monitor 8 individual data and data obtained by classifying the aggregate data according to the staff composition of any type of facility.

[0156] [Configuration 7] In a method according to another embodiment, CPU 1 receives data for each of a plurality of items obtained by sensing the status of the resident in each room from each sensor box 119 arranged in that room. CPU 1 records each piece of data on hard disk 5. For a pre-designated item among the items, CPU 1 displays a plurality of pieces of information associated with each resident on monitor 8 in ascending or descending order of the data for that item.

[0157] [Configuration 8] In a method according to another embodiment, CPU 1 receives data for each of a plurality of items obtained by sensing the status of the resident of each room from each sensor box 119 arranged in each room. CPU 1 records each piece of data on hard disk 5. If the amount of change between each piece of data obtained at a first timing (e.g., the last time it was obtained) and each piece of data obtained at a second timing (e.g., the previous time it was obtained, the time it was obtained six months ago, etc.) exceeds a preset standard, CPU 1 displays on monitor 8 other information obtained about the resident from whom the data was obtained.

[0158] [Configuration 9] In a method according to a certain aspect, CPU 1 accepts the selection of one of the residents. CPU 1 displays an image of the selected resident's room on monitor 8.

[0159] [Configuration 10] In one aspect, the CPU 1 plots and displays data for two items for each resident on the monitor 8. The two items are, for example, ADL assessment (Basel Index) and dementia assessment, nutritional status (serum albumin level) and ADL assessment, ADL assessment and sleep time, nutritional status and activity time, etc., but data sets for other two types of items may also be displayed. In yet another aspect, when a change in an item is detected, the number of tagged videos and the other item may be plotted as an index.

[0160] [Configuration 11] In a certain stage, the CPU 1 detects the selection of a displayed plot. The CPU 1 displays information about the resident corresponding to the selected plot.

[0161] [Configuration 12] At a certain stage, the CPU 1 accepts the selection of one of the residents, and displays a recommended menu according to the status of the selected resident.

[0162] As described above, according to one embodiment, information representing the condition of each resident obtained at the facility is displayed in a manner that allows comparison with the average value of information representing the condition of other facilities obtained from outside the facility, making it easier for nursing staff and care managers to consider care plans and rehabilitation menus for the improvement of the residents of the facility.

[0163] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0164] 2 Mouse, 3 Keyboard, 4, 103, 223 RAM, 5 Hard disk, 6 Optical disk drive, 7, 104, 224 Communication interface, 8 Monitor, 9, 102, 222 ROM, 16 External network, 31 Range, 100 System, 101, 221 Control device, 105 Camera, 106 Doppler sensor, 107 Wireless communication device, 108, 228 Storage device, 110, 120 Room, 111, 121, ID, ID611, ID1510 Resident, 112 Furniture, 113 Bed, 114 Toilet, 115 Care call handset, 116 Toilet sensor, 117 Sensor, 118 Door sensor, 119 Sensor box, 130 Gateway server, 135 Switching device, 140 Access point, 141, 142, 143, 144 Caregiver, 150 Cloud server, 160 Push server, 161,162,163,164,220 Mobile device, 180 Facility, 195 Wireless base station, 200 Management server, 226 Display, 229 Input device, 241 Care call button, 290 Vital sensor, 400 Computer system, 610,620,710,720,800,1100,1310,1320,1330,1500 Table.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for providing information to assist in caregiving, comprising: receiving, from another information system, aggregated data that classifies the status of residents of each facility by type of facility; receiving data of one or more items obtained by sensing the state of the occupant of each room from each sensor box arranged in each room and connected to the computer; calculating individual data classifying the state of each resident of the facility using the data received from each of the sensor boxes; detecting a change in the state of each resident of the facility based on a comparison of individual data calculated using the currently received data with individual data calculated using previously received data; and displaying the individual data and the aggregate data for any one of the plurality of types of facilities on a monitor connected to the computer in a comparable manner based on the detection of the change; The individual data is a percentage of the level of either support or care required in a facility that uses the information to support care, The aggregate data is a percentage of the level of either the level of needing support or the level of needing care in other facilities classified as the same type as the facility that uses the information to support care, The method further comprises: selecting a predefined recommended program for improving the condition of the resident for each level of need for assistance or care based on the level of need for assistance or care of the resident whose condition change has been detected; and displaying the selected recommended programs.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resident's condition includes a level of assistance or care required, a nutritional level, or a status of activities of daily living.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of displaying the individual data and the aggregated data includes displaying the individual data and the aggregated data for facilities of the same type as the type of facility from which the individual data was obtained.

4. receiving an input for changing one of the plurality of types to another type; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the step of displaying the individual data and the aggregate data for the facility of the changed type.

5. further comprising the step of accepting a selection of any of the residents; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the step of displaying on the monitor includes the step of displaying an image of the selected resident's room.

6. A step of accepting a selection of each of two items for each resident; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the step of plotting and displaying data for each of the two items.

7. Detecting a selection of a displayed plot; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the step of: displaying information of a resident corresponding to the selected plot.

8. A program that causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. a memory storing the program according to claim 8; A care support information providing device comprising: a processor that executes the program.

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