Activities of Daily Living Assessment System and Program

Abstract

To provide an evaluation system capable of discovering deterioration in ADL capacity of a tenant at an early stage with a simple configuration while protecting privacy.SOLUTION: A daily living activity evaluation system includes: at least one sensor (31-34) provided in a living space of a private room; measuring means (51 and 52) for measuring the time or the speed accompanying wake-up related activity related to wake-up of a user of the private room on the basis of a detection signal from the at least one sensor; history storage means (40) for storing a measurement value measured by the measuring means; and determination means (55) for calculating an amount of change in the measurement value stored in the history storage means, and determining presence or absence of the deterioration in the capacity of activities of daily living of the user on the basis of the calculated amount of change.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaluation system and program for evaluating the activities of daily living of residents in nursing homes such as elderly care facilities. [Background technology]

[0002] In elderly care facilities, assessing the activities of daily living (hereafter referred to as "ADL") of residents (elderly people) is important for estimating the level of care required and the progression of dementia. Walking ability, etc., is used to assess ADL.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-31433 (Patent Document 1) proposes a technology for evaluating a subject's level of independence based on physical fitness measurements for daily living physical fitness items, a daily living physical fitness aging function program, and independence limit values ​​determined for each daily living physical fitness item.

[0004] WO2008 / 093406 (Patent Document 2) discloses a technology for determining walking ability by measuring the ratio of the load on the left and right legs of a subject, stride length, etc., using sensor units (mainly pressure sensors) installed on floors, stairs, exercise equipment, etc. within a building.

[0005] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-154489 (Patent Document 3) discloses a technology for evaluating the motor ability (muscle strength) of a subject during physical movements in daily life (standing up, walking, standing on one leg, squatting) using a motion capture device, etc. This technology measures the joint torque and joint angles of body parts, as well as the position, posture, and movement speed of the head, and evaluates the motor ability by dividing the upper body, left lower body, and right lower body into these, along with basic information about the subject. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-31433 [Patent Document 2] WO2008 / 093406 publication [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-154489 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In elderly care facilities, ADL measurements of residents are sometimes performed by caregivers or other staff. However, in such cases, various psychological factors may reduce the reliability of the measurements. Furthermore, although Patent Document 1 can automatically evaluate the subject's independence and motor skills, early detection of decline in ADL ability is not possible unless actual daily movements are monitored.

[0008] The technology in Patent Document 2 requires pressure sensors to be installed on the floors of buildings, which increases costs. In addition, the technology in Patent Document 3 uses a motion capture device as a means of measuring body movements, which raises privacy concerns when it is assumed to be installed in private rooms in elderly care facilities.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an evaluation system that can detect a decline in a resident's ADL ability early with a simple configuration while protecting privacy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for evaluating activities of daily living includes at least one sensor installed in a living space within a private room, a measuring means for measuring the time or speed associated with wake-up-related activities related to waking up of a user of the private room based on a detection signal from the at least one sensor, a history storage means for storing the measurement values ​​measured by the measuring means, and a determining means for calculating the amount of change in the measurement values ​​stored in the history storage means and determining whether or not the user's ability to perform activities of daily living has declined based on the calculated amount of change.

[0011] Preferably, the wake-up-related movement includes the user getting up from bed, and the measuring means measures the time or speed required for the get-up movement as the trunk index.

[0012] The system for assessing activities of daily living may further include a load sensor that detects the load on the handrail of the toilet in the private room, and a dependency time measurement means that measures the dependency time on the handrail based on the detection signal from the load sensor. In this case, it is desirable that the determination means determine whether or not the trunk has weakened based on the time or speed required for the standing-up action and the dependency time measured by the dependency time measurement means.

[0013] Preferably, the wake-up-related action includes the user standing up from bed, and the measuring means measures the time or speed required for the standing up action as the lower limb muscle strength index.

[0014] The system for evaluating activities of daily living may further include a load sensor that detects the load on the handrail of the toilet in the private room, and a handrail load measuring means that measures the load value on the handrail based on the detection signal from the load sensor. In this case, it is desirable that the determining means determine whether or not there is a decline in lower limb muscle strength based on the time or speed required for the standing-up action and the load value measured by the handrail load measuring means.

[0015] More preferably, the wake-up-related action includes a movement action from the user's bed to the toilet, and the measuring means measures the walking time or walking speed required for the movement action as the walking ability index.

[0016] Preferably, the at least one sensor includes a vital sensor that detects vital information of the user, and the activities of daily living assessment system further includes estimation means that estimates a level of alertness of the user based on the vital information detected by the vital sensor. In this case, the determination means may correct the measurement value measured by the measurement means in accordance with the level of alertness estimated by the estimation means, and determine whether or not the user's abilities in activities of daily living have declined based on the corrected measurement value.

[0017] A program for evaluating activities of daily living according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the steps of: inputting a detection signal from at least one sensor installed in the living space of a private room; measuring the time or speed associated with wake-up-related activities related to waking up the occupant of the private room based on the input detection signal; recording the measured past measurement values ​​in a history storage means; and comparing the measured current measurement value with the past measurement values ​​stored in the history storage means to determine whether or not the occupant's ability to perform activities of daily living has declined. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to detect early deterioration in the ADL ability of a resident (a user of a private room) with a simple configuration while protecting privacy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] (A) is a plan view of a private room in an elderly care facility to which the daily living activity assessment system according to each embodiment of the present invention is applied, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which multiple sensors are installed on a bed or its surrounding area in the private room. [Figure 2] FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an activity of daily living assessment system according to each embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration and functional configuration of an assessment device according to each embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a series of actions taken by a user who has been lying in a bed at a nursing home when getting up. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a process for measuring ADL indices during a wake-up movement (a wake-up measurement process) in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for measuring ADL indices when moving to the toilet immediately after getting up (measurement process during movement) in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart showing an ADL evaluation method based on wake-up-related movements in the first embodiment, where (A) shows the ADL evaluation method based on wake-up movements, and (B) shows the ADL evaluation method based on moving movements. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the installation location of a load sensor in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing a process for measuring ADL indices when using a handrail in the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like or corresponding parts are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0021] <First Embodiment> (About the outline of the configuration) The schematic configuration of an activity of daily living evaluation system 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as "evaluation system 1") according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1(A), (B) and 2(A). Figure 1(A) is a plan view of a private room 100 in a nursing home to which the evaluation system 1 is applied, and Figure 1(B) is a diagram schematically showing a state in which a plurality of sensors are provided on a bed 110 in the private room 100 or in its surrounding area. Figure 2(A) is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the evaluation system 1.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1(A), the private room 100 is composed of a living space 101 and a toilet room 102, and a bed 110 is placed in the living space 101. A toilet 112 and a handrail 113 are installed in the toilet room 102. A wake-up sensor 31 that detects the user's wake-up movement is provided on or around the bed 110, and a door opening / closing sensor 32 that detects the opening and closing of a door 102d is provided at the entrance to the toilet room 102.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 2(A), the evaluation system 1 according to this embodiment includes a sensing unit 3 including these sensors 31 and 32 provided in a living space 101, and an evaluation device 2 that receives detection signals from the sensing unit 3 and performs ADL evaluation. The evaluation device 2 is, for example, a general-purpose computer and is connected to a care record server 4 via a network. The care record server 4 may be a physical server or a cloud server. In this embodiment, the vital sensor 33 and the load sensor 34 shown by dashed lines in FIG. 2(A) do not necessarily need to be included in the sensing unit 3.

[0024] The evaluation device 2 measures the time spent by the occupant of the private room 100 performing wake-up-related activities, stores the measurement results in the history memory unit 40 of the care record server 4, and performs ADL evaluation based on the history information stored in the history memory unit 40.

[0025] Here, "wake-up related actions" refers to actions related to waking up of a user who has been sleeping in bed 110, and specifically includes the action of getting up from bed 110, the action of standing up from bed 110, and the action of moving from bed 110 to toilet 112 (toilet room 102). Therefore, evaluation system 1 measures the time involved in the action of getting up: stand-up time (Ta), the time involved in the action of standing up: stand-up time (Tb), and the time involved in the action of moving from bed 110 to toilet 112: walking time (Tc) (see FIG. 1(A)).

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a series of actions taken by a user lying in bed 110 when getting up. The "rising motion" is the motion from "starting to rise (head begins to lift)" to "edge sitting position (sitting on the edge of bed 110 (legs down))," and the "standing motion" is the motion from "getting out of bed (starting to lift hips from bed 110)" to "starting to walk (starting to leave bed 110)." The rising time (Ta) associated with the standing motion represents the user's core index, and the standing time (Tb) associated with the standing motion represents the user's lower limb muscle strength index. The user's movement motion from bed 110 to toilet 112 is the walking motion from "starting to walk" to arriving at toilet room 102, and the movement time (Tc) associated with this movement motion represents the user's walking ability index.

[0027] The getting-up sensor 31 and the door opening / closing sensor 32 for detecting these respective actions are configured, for example, by infrared sensors. As shown in Fig. 1(B), the getting-up sensor 31 may include multiple (two) sensors 31a, 31b in order to reliably and easily detect each of the actions of getting up and standing from the bed 110. As an example, one sensor (hereinafter referred to as the "first sensor") 31a is installed on the head side of the bed 110 and detects changes in the user's posture on the bed 110. The other sensor (hereinafter referred to as the "second sensor") 31b is installed near the floor under the bed 110 and detects the feet of the user who has lowered themselves from the bed 110 onto the floor.

[0028] (Configuration of evaluation device) Fig. 2(B) is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the evaluation device 2. Referring to Fig. 2(B), the evaluation device 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 that executes various types of arithmetic processing, a storage unit 22 that stores various types of data and programs, a clock unit 23 that performs clocking operations such as date and time, a communication unit 24 that communicates with other information processing devices via a network, an operation unit 25 that accepts instructions from a user, a display unit 26 that displays various types of information, and an input / output unit 27 that inputs and outputs signals from external devices.

[0029] The evaluation device 2 includes, as its functional configuration, first and second measuring units 51 and 52, a recording processing unit 55, a determination unit 56, and a notification processing unit 57. Note that the evaluation device 2 according to this embodiment does not necessarily have to include the third measuring unit 53 and the estimation unit 54 shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 2(B).

[0030] The first measuring unit 51 measures the rising time (Ta) and the standing time (Tb) based on the detection signals from the rising sensor 31 (first sensor 31a and second sensor 31b). The second measuring unit 52 measures the walking time (Tc) based on the detection signals from the rising sensor 31 (second sensor 31b) and the door opening / closing sensor 32.

[0031] The record processing unit 55 executes a process of recording the measurement values ​​measured by the first and second measuring units 51, 52 in the history storage unit 40 of the care record server 4 via the communication unit 24. Specifically, the measurement data including the time to get up (Ta), the time to stand up (Tb), and the walking time (Tc) is recorded in the history storage unit 40 together with the date and time of measurement. As a result, the user's past measurement data is stored as history information in the history storage unit 40 of the care record server 4. Note that if the private room 100 is a room in a facility such as a nursing home, the measurement data is stored in association with the user ID (identification information) of the private room 100.

[0032] The determining unit 56 calculates the amount of change in each measurement value stored in the history storage unit 40, and determines whether or not the user's ADL ability has deteriorated based on the calculated amount of change.

[0033] The notification processing unit 57 executes processing to notify the facility staff of the determination result by the determination unit 56. For example, the determination result may be displayed on the display unit 26, or the determination result may be notified to a terminal (not shown) held by the facility staff via the communication unit 24. Note that the notification processing unit 57 may perform notification processing only when the determination unit 56 determines that the ADL ability has declined.

[0034] The functions of the first and second measuring units 51, 52, recording processing unit 55, judgment unit 56, and notification processing unit 57 shown in Figure 2 (B) are performed by the CPU 21 executing software stored in the memory unit 22.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the history storage unit 40 is described as being stored in the care record server 4, but it may be stored in a storage device (a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk) of the evaluation device 2. In other words, the evaluation device 2 and the care record server 4 may be realized by a single information processing device.

[0036] <About operation> (ADL index measurement method) 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing a method for measuring ADL indices accompanying wake-up-related actions in this embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the process of measuring ADL indices during wake-up actions (wake-up measurement process), and FIG. 5 shows the process of measuring ADL indices during actions of moving to the toilet 112 following wake-up (movement measurement process). Note that the processes shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be executed continuously, for example, while the user is present in the private room 100, or may be started at a predetermined time in the middle of the night every day (for example, midnight). These processes are realized by the CPU 21 executing a program stored in the storage unit 22.

[0037] 4, when the first measuring unit 51 detects that the user has started to get up based on the detection signal from the first sensor 31a of the wake-up sensor 31 (YES in step S2), it starts measuring the time (timer count) of the wake-up action (step S4). After that, when the first measuring unit 51 detects that the user is sitting on the edge of the seat based on the detection signal from the second sensor 31b of the wake-up sensor 31 (YES in step S8), it measures the current timer count value as the get-up time Ta and records it in the internal memory (step S12).

[0038] If "sitting on the edge of the bed" is not detected within a predetermined time (for example, one minute) after "start of standing up" is detected (NO in step S8, YES in step S10), it is determined that the person sat up once but then went back to sleep, and this process ends. In other words, the count value of the timer is reset to zero.

[0039] After "sitting on the edge of the bed" is detected, if "getting out of bed" and "starting to walk" are detected within a predetermined time (YES in step S14, YES in S16), the first measuring unit 51 measures the time obtained by subtracting the "getting up time Ta" from the current timer count value as the "standing up time Tb" and records this in the internal memory (step S18). At the same time, the second measuring unit 52 is notified that measurement of the time associated with the getting up action has been completed (step S22). The "getting out of bed" action can be detected by the first sensor 31a or the vital sensor 33 described below. The "starting to walk" action can be detected by the second sensor 31b.

[0040] Furthermore, if "getting out of bed" is not detected even after a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has passed since "sitting on the edge" was detected (NO in step S14, YES in step S24), it is determined that the person has returned to bed 110, and this process is terminated.

[0041] After notifying the second measuring unit 52, the recording processing unit 55 records the "rise time Ta" and "rise time Tb" recorded in the internal memory in the history memory unit 40 of the care record server 4 (step S24), and this process is terminated.

[0042] 5, when the second measuring unit 52 receives a notification from the first measuring unit 51 (YES in step S32), it starts measuring the time (timer count) of the moving action (step S34). After that, when the second measuring unit 52 detects that the door 102d of the toilet room 102 has changed from a closed state to an open state based on the detection signal from the door opening / closing sensor 32 (YES in step S36), it measures the current timer count value as "walking time Tc" and records it in the internal memory (step S40).

[0043] If the opening or closing of the toilet door 102d is not detected even after a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed since the timer started counting (NO in step S36, YES in step S38), it is determined that the person has moved to a location other than the toilet 112, and this process is terminated.

[0044] After the measurement process in step S40, the record processing unit 55 records the "walking time Tc" recorded in the internal memory in the history storage unit 40 of the care record server 4 (step S42), and this process ends.

[0045] (ADL assessment method) 6A and 6B are flowcharts showing an ADL evaluation method based on wake-up-related behaviors in this embodiment, in which FIG. 6A shows an ADL evaluation method based on wake-up behaviors, and FIG. 6B shows an ADL evaluation method based on moving behaviors. Each process shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B may be started, for example, at a predetermined time (e.g., 10:00 AM) every day, or may be started when a user (facility staff member) inputs an instruction for ADL evaluation via operation unit 25. These processes are also realized by CPU 21 executing a program stored in storage unit 22.

[0046] ADL assessment based on getting up behavior Referring to Figure 6 (A), the judgment unit 56 first acquires information from the history memory unit 40 from the care record server 4, calculates the amount of change in the "rise time Ta" and "rise time Tb" of the occupant of the private room 100, and judges whether the "rise time Ta" and "rise time Tb" are on the rise (steps S102, S104, S106).

[0047] When "rise time Ta" and "rise time Tb" are constantly measured, the measurement value to be evaluated may be, for example, the average of the measurement values ​​for one day, or any one of the measurement values ​​for one day. Furthermore, the measurement value to be compared may be, for example, the average of the measurement values ​​for a predetermined period of time immediately preceding (for example, one month). Typically, the determination unit 56 determines that there is an increasing trend when the relationship between the most recent one-day measurement average and the measurement average for the past month is satisfied. The same may be true for other types of measurement values ​​described below.

[0048] If it is determined that both the "rise time Ta" and the "stand up time Tb" are on the rise (YES in step S102, YES in step S104), the judgment unit 56 determines that the user's lower limb muscle strength and trunk strength have declined, and the notification processing unit 57 notifies the user of the "decline in lower limb muscle strength and trunk strength" (step S108).

[0049] If it is determined that only the "standing up time Ta" is on the rise (YES in step S102, NO in step S104), the determination unit 56 determines that the user's trunk is weakening, and the notification processing unit 57 issues a notification of "weakening of the trunk" (step S110). If it is determined that only the "standing up time Tb" is on the rise (NO in step S102, YES in step S106), the determination unit 56 determines that the user's lower limb muscle strength is weakening, and the notification processing unit 57 issues a notification of "weakening of the lower limb muscle strength" (step S112).

[0050] On the other hand, if it is determined that both the "rise time Ta" and the "stand up time Tb" are not showing an increasing trend (NO in step S102, NO in step S104), the judgment unit 56 determines that the user's lower limb muscle strength and trunk have not declined, and the notification processing unit 57 notifies that the lower limb muscle strength and trunk will "maintain their current state" (step S114).

[0051] ADL assessment based on mobility 6(B), the determination unit 56 first acquires information from the history storage unit 40 from the care record server 4, calculates the amount of change in the "walking time Tc" of the occupant of the private room 100, and determines whether the "walking time Tc" is on the rise (step S122). The method for determining whether the "walking time Tc" is on the rise is the same as the method for determining whether the ADL evaluation is based on the wake-up behavior.

[0052] If it is determined that the "walking time Tc" is on an increasing trend (YES in step S122), the determination unit 56 determines that the user's walking ability is on a declining trend, and the notification processing unit 57 issues a notification of "declining walking ability" (step S124). If it is determined that the "walking time Tc" is not on an increasing trend (NO in step S122), the determination unit 56 determines that the user's walking ability is not declining, and the notification processing unit 57 issues a notification of "maintaining current walking ability" (step S126).

[0053] As described above, the ADL index is calculated based on the detection signals from the sensors 31 and 32 installed in the private room 100, so the ADL index can be calculated with a simple configuration while protecting privacy. Furthermore, since sensing is performed without the supervision of a caregiver, an objective ADL index can be calculated based on the user's natural daily activities. As a result, the ADL ability can be appropriately evaluated.

[0054] Furthermore, because the system calculates multiple ADL indices for a series of movements upon waking rather than a single movement, it is possible to evaluate the user's ADL ability without bias toward a specific daily activity. Specifically, it is possible to comprehensively evaluate ADL ability that is directly or indirectly related to walking ability. Furthermore, because the system calculates changes in the ADL indices by comparing them with the user's past measurements every day, it is possible to capture changes in ADL ability for each user in detail. As a result, declines in ADL ability can be detected early.

[0055] Furthermore, the sensors 31a, 31b, and 32 of this embodiment are relatively inexpensive sensors, and therefore, the ADL index can be evaluated simply and inexpensively.

[0056] In this embodiment, the notification processing unit 57 notifies the user (care staff) of the determination result by the determination unit 56 as it is, but it may also be possible to suggest starting monitoring or therapeutic exercise based on the determination result. This makes it possible to avoid the risk of the user falling due to overlooking a decline in ADL ability. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from breaking a bone due to a fall or from developing dementia due to a worsening level of care required.

[0057] <Embodiment 2> The evaluation system according to this embodiment has a function of estimating the level of wakefulness of the user, and differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the sensing unit 3 shown in FIG. 2(A) includes a vital sensor 33. The vital sensor 33 is, for example, a microwave sensor, and detects vital information of the user. The vital information includes heart rate, respiration, etc.

[0058] The evaluation device 2 of this embodiment includes an estimation unit 54 indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 2(B). The estimation unit 54 estimates the wakefulness level of a user on the bed 110 based on a detection signal from the vital sensor 33. The vital sensor 33 is installed, for example, on the head side of the bed 110, as shown in Fig. 1(B), in order to detect vital information of the user when waking up.

[0059] The level of alertness can be calculated, for example, as the amount of fluctuation in vital information (such as heart rate) from when the user "starts to get up" to when "gets out of bed." When the level of alertness is low, the time taken for each action (ADL index) may be longer than when the level of alertness is within the normal range, which may reduce the reliability of the measured values. Therefore, the determination unit 56 of this embodiment corrects the measured values ​​measured by the measurement units 51 and 52 according to the level of alertness of the user, and determines whether or not the user's ADL ability has declined based on the corrected measured values.

[0060] As a specific correction method, the estimation result (level of alertness) by the estimation unit 54 may be recorded in the history storage unit 40 together with the measurement values ​​(rise time Ta, rise time Tb, walking time Tc) that are ADL indices, and the measurement values ​​may be corrected when the determination unit 56 makes a determination. Alternatively, the actual measurement values ​​may be corrected according to the level of alertness, i.e., the corrected measurement values ​​may be recorded in the history storage unit 40. The measurement values ​​may be corrected, for example, by multiplying the actual measurement values ​​by a coefficient according to the level of alertness. Alternatively, the actual measurement values ​​may be multiplied by a predetermined coefficient only when the level of alertness is less than a predetermined value.

[0061] As described above, in this embodiment, the measurement value serving as the ADL index is corrected according to the level of wakefulness, and therefore the reliability of the ADL evaluation can be improved.

[0062] In this embodiment, the level of wakefulness at the time of waking up is used to correct the measurement value, but the level of wakefulness may also be used as a target for assessing the risk of falling at the time of waking up, and the degree of decrease in the level of wakefulness may be determined.

[0063] Furthermore, since the vital sensor 33 used in this embodiment can also detect the movements of the user, a single vital sensor 33 installed in the private room 100 may be configured to detect the sitting up, standing up, and moving movements described in embodiment 1. In this case, the sensing unit 3 may include only the vital sensor 33. In other words, the evaluation system 1 only needs to be equipped with at least one sensor.

[0064] <Third Embodiment> The evaluation system according to this embodiment has a function of detecting the degree of dependence on the handrail 113 in the toilet room 102 shown in Fig. 1(A), and differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the sensing unit 3 shown in Fig. 2(A) includes a load sensor 34. The load sensor 34 is configured by, for example, a pressure sensor.

[0065] The load sensor 34 may be provided on a wall 102w of the toilet room 102 as shown in FIG. 7(A), or may be provided on a floor 102f of the toilet room 102 as shown in FIG. 7(B).

[0066] The evaluation device 2 of this embodiment includes a third measurement unit 53 indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 2(B). The third measurement unit 53 measures the load value (x) applied to the handrail 113 and the dependence time (Td) on the handrail 113 based on the detection signal from the load sensor 34. In this way, the third measurement unit 53 functions as a handrail load measurement means and a dependence time measurement means. The load value (x) applied to the handrail 113 is considered to be one of the lower limb muscle strength indicators, and the dependence time (Td) on the handrail 113 is considered to be one of the trunk indicators.

[0067] 8 is a flowchart showing the measurement process of ADL indices when using a handrail. This process is started, for example, when opening or closing of the toilet door 102d is detected. As an example, in the measurement process during movement shown in FIG. 5, the process may be started in response to the detection of opening or closing of the toilet door 102d (YES in step S36). In other words, following the movement action from the bed 110 to the toilet 112, the dependent action on the handrail 113 may be detected.

[0068] Referring to Figure 8, when a load on the handrail 113 is detected based on the detection signal from the load sensor 34 (YES in step S52), the third measurement unit 53 starts measuring the time (timer count) of the handrail-dependent movement (step S54) and starts measuring the load (step S56).

[0069] Thereafter, when the load is no longer detected (YES in step S58) and the opening and closing of the toilet door 102d is detected (YES in step S60), the measurement of the handrail load x and the handrail dependent time Td by the third measuring unit 53 is terminated (step S62), and the recording processing unit 55 records each measurement value in the history storage unit 40 of the care record server 4 (step S64). Note that the handrail load x may be calculated as the maximum value or the average value of the measured loads.

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the measurement results (load value x and dependent time Td) by the third measuring unit 53 are recorded in the history storage unit 40 together with the measurement results (standing up time Ta, standing up time Tb, walking time Tc) by the first and second measuring units 51, 52. Therefore, the determination unit 56 in this embodiment can determine whether or not there is a decline in lower limb muscle strength based on both the degree of increase in the user's standing up time (Ta) and the degree of increase in the load value (x) applied to the handrail 113, and can determine whether or not there is a decline in trunk strength based on both the degree of increase in the user's standing up time (Tb) and the degree of increase in the dependent time on the handrail 113 (Td).

[0071] As described above, in this embodiment, the reliability of ADL assessment can be improved by determining whether or not the user has a decline in trunk and lower limb muscle strength, taking into account the degree of dependence on the handrail 113 when using the toilet 112.

[0072] In this embodiment, the third measuring unit 53 measures both the load value x and the dependency time Td, but it may measure either one of them. In other words, the dependency on the handrail may be included in either the lower limb muscle strength index or the trunk index.

[0073] <Modification> In the first embodiment, the wake-up movement is distinguished between "getting up movement" and "standing up movement," and the first measuring unit 51 measures both the get-up time (Ta) and the stand-up time (Tb) as the ADL index, but the total time from starting to get up to starting to walk (get-up movement time (Ta+Tb)) may be measured as the ADL index without this distinction. Alternatively, the first measuring unit 51 may measure only either the get-up time (Ta) or the stand-up time (Tb).

[0074] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the wake-up-related actions are distinguished between "wake-up actions" and "movement actions," and the first measuring unit 51 measures the wake-up action time (Ta+Tb) associated with the wake-up action, and the second measuring unit 52 measures the walking time (Tc) associated with the movement action. However, without distinguishing between these, one measuring unit may measure the total time from the start of getting up to moving to the toilet 112 (wake-up-related action time (Ta+Tb+Tc)) as an ADL index. Alternatively, only one of the measurement of the wake-up action time by the first measuring unit 51 and the measurement of the walking time by the second measuring unit 52 may be performed.

[0075] In addition, although the time required for each movement is used as the ADL index in the first embodiment, the speed required for each movement may be used as the ADL index. This allows for accurate ADL evaluation even if furniture in the private room 100 is moved and the flow line from the bed 110 to the toilet 112 changes.

[0076] The ADL evaluation method executed by the evaluation device 2 in each of the above embodiments may be provided as a program. Such a program may be provided by being recorded on an optical medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-ROM) or a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card. The program may also be provided by being downloaded via a network.

[0077] The program according to the present invention may execute processing by calling necessary modules in a predetermined sequence at a predetermined timing among program modules provided as part of a computer's operating system (OS). In this case, the program itself does not include the modules, and executes processing in cooperation with the OS. Programs that do not include such modules may also be included in the program according to the present invention.

[0078] Furthermore, the program according to the present invention may be provided as a part of another program. In this case, the program itself does not include the modules included in the other program, and executes processing in cooperation with the other program. Such a program incorporated in another program may also be included in the program according to the present invention.

[0079] 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]

[0080] 1 evaluation system, 2 evaluation device, 3 sensing unit, 4 nursing care record server, 31, 31a, 31b wake-up sensor, 32 door opening / closing sensor, 33 vital sign sensor, 34 load sensor, 40 history memory unit, 51 first measurement unit, 52 second measurement unit, 53 third measurement unit, 54 estimation unit, 55 record processing unit, 56 determination unit, 57 notification processing unit, 100 private room, 101 living space, 102 toilet room, 110 bed, 112 toilet, 113 handrail.

Claims

1. At least one sensor provided in a living space within the compartment; a measuring means for measuring a time or a speed of a wake-up action related to the wake-up of the occupant of the private room based on a detection signal from the at least one sensor; a history storage means for storing the measurement values ​​measured by the measurement means; a determining means for calculating a change in the measurement value stored in the history storing means and determining whether or not the user's ability to perform daily living activities has declined based on the calculated change; a notification means for notifying a result of the determination by the determination means, the wake-up-related action includes an action of the user getting up from the bed and an action of the user standing up from the bed, the measuring means measures a rise time or a speed required for the rise action as a first measured value, and measures a rise time or a speed required for the rise action as a second measured value; The determination means determines that the trunk is weakening when the first measurement value is on an increasing trend, and determines that lower limb muscle strength is weakening when the second measurement value is on an increasing trend.

2. a load sensor that detects a load on a handrail of the toilet in the private room; and a dependency time measurement means for measuring a dependency time on the handrail based on a detection signal from the load sensor, 2. The daily living activities assessment system according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines whether or not there is a decline in trunk strength based on the time or speed required for the standing-up movement and the dependent time measured by the dependent time measurement means.

3. a load sensor that detects a load on a handrail of the toilet in the private room; and a handrail load measuring means for measuring a load value applied to the handrail based on a detection signal from the load sensor.

2. The daily living activities assessment system according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines whether or not there is a decline in lower limb muscle strength based on the time or speed required for the standing-up movement and the load value measured by the handrail load measuring means.

4. the wake-up-related action includes a movement action of the user from a bed to a toilet; 4. The system for evaluating activities of daily living according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means measures walking time or walking speed required for said movement as a walking ability index.

5. the at least one sensor includes a vital sensor that detects vital information of the user; The device further includes an estimation unit for estimating a level of wakefulness of the user based on vital information detected by the vital sensor, The system for assessing activities of daily living described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the determination means corrects the measurement value measured by the measurement means according to the level of alertness estimated by the estimation means, and determines whether or not the user's ability to perform activities of daily living has declined based on the corrected measurement value.

6. receiving a detection signal from at least one sensor provided in a living space of the private room; based on the input detection signal, measuring a first measurement value indicating the time or speed required for the user to stand up from the bed as a time or speed associated with a wake-up-related action related to the user's waking up in the private room, and a second measurement value indicating the time or speed required for the user to stand up from the bed; a step of recording past measurement values ​​including the first measurement value and the second measurement value in a history storage means; a step of comparing the current measured value with the past measured value stored in the history storage means to determine whether or not the user's ability to perform daily living activities has declined; and a step of notifying a result of the determination step. A program for evaluating activities of daily living, in which, in the determining step, it is determined that the trunk is weakening if the first measurement value is on an increasing trend, and that lower limb muscle strength is weakening if the second measurement value is on an increasing trend.

7. At least one sensor installed in a living space within a private room; a measuring means for measuring a time or a speed of a wake-up action related to the wake-up of the occupant of the private room based on a detection signal from the at least one sensor; a history storage means for storing the measurement values ​​measured by the measurement means; a determining means for calculating a change in the measurement value stored in the history storing means and determining whether or not the user's ability to perform daily living activities has declined based on the calculated change; a load sensor that detects a load on a handrail of the toilet in the private room; a dependency time measurement means for measuring a dependency time on the handrail based on a detection signal from the load sensor, the wake-up-related action includes an action of the user getting up from bed, the measuring means measures a time or speed required for the stand-up movement as a trunk index; The determination means determines whether or not there is a decline in trunk strength based on the time or speed required for the standing-up movement and the dependency time measured by the dependency time measurement means.

8. At least one sensor installed in a living space within a private room; a measuring means for measuring a time or a speed of a wake-up action related to the wake-up of the occupant of the private room based on a detection signal from the at least one sensor; a history storage means for storing the measurement values ​​measured by the measurement means; a determining means for calculating a change in the measurement value stored in the history storing means and determining whether or not the user's ability to perform daily living activities has declined based on the calculated change; a load sensor that detects a load on a handrail of the toilet in the private room; a handrail load measuring means for measuring a load value applied to the handrail based on a detection signal from the load sensor, the wake-up-related action includes an action of the user getting up from bed, the measuring means measures a time or speed required for the standing-up movement as a lower limb muscle strength index; The determination means is a system for evaluating activities of daily living that determines whether or not there is a decline in lower limb muscle strength based on the time or speed required for the standing-up movement and the load value measured by the handrail load measurement means.

9. At least one sensor installed in a living space within a private room; a measuring means for measuring a time or a speed of a wake-up action related to the wake-up of the occupant of the private room based on a detection signal from the at least one sensor; a history storage means for storing the measurement values ​​measured by the measurement means; a determining means for calculating a change in the measurement value stored in the history storing means and determining whether or not the user has declined in the activities of daily living based on the calculated change; the at least one sensor includes a vital sensor that detects vital information of the user; The device further includes an estimation unit for estimating a level of wakefulness of the user based on vital information detected by the vital sensor, The determination means corrects the measurement value measured by the measurement means according to the level of alertness estimated by the estimation means, and determines whether or not the user's ability to perform activities of daily living has declined based on the corrected measurement value.

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