PerciLight, AAL Horizon

There is a need to rethink circadian lighting and eldercare. Circadian rhythm and sleep disorders affect older adults with dementia and occur when sleep-wake cycle is not properly aligned with the environment, interfering with the proper execution of daily activities. Currently, there are more than 47 million demented persons worldwide, and this number is predicted to rise to 152 million by 2050. Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people representing a growing health concern due to the considerably decrease of the quality of life of patients and a significant burden to the health and social care systems. Furthermore, caregivers are frequently exposed to artificial light during night shifts, which disrupts the circadian cycle. Also, they are often subjected to stressful conditions due to threats of violence and negative behaviour from demented elderly in result of sleep disruption. The foundation of the PerciLight project is built around the unmet needs of the targeted end-users together with the solid scientific evidence that it can significantly reduce fatigue, anxiety, while improving circadian rhythm. By integrating sensor-based monitoring technology and deep learning, this project aims at developing a personalised circadian lighting and an early warning with a real-time monitoring system, incl. the ability to predict behavioural changes of elderlies. Our approach will permit to use light as an effective and non-invasive solution to resync the circadian rhythm, which results in improving sleep, mood and general well-being of both patients and caregivers.