LONDON, Jan 11 (AFP) - Japanese health officials were visiting a British hi-tech house for the elderly Tuesday to study pioneering ways of helping frail pensioners live independently. The name of the residence is, "The Millennium Home," and is located in Greenwich, England. The facility is fitted with sensors linked to a computer that warn residents of potential dangers and reminds them to lock doors or to take medication.
Developers say the computer kit can now be installed in existing homes so elderly people need not move out of their house. A pilot scheme is to be launched in London later this year.
A delegation from the Japanese Health Ministry was visiting the show house to study ways of dealing with Japan's aging population. By 2001, 26 percent of the Japanese population will be over the age of 65.
Sensors are connected to the toilet, bed, lights, floors, taps, locks and cookers in the house. They can pick up information including the temperature, whether gas burners have been left on, taps running or doors unlocked. Initially, the computer will alert the resident to any problem. If the resident does not respond, it calls in outside help.
Professor Heinz Wolff said, "The Millennium Home is a home that cares through technology. It collects information about the tenant in order to protect him. The aim is to achieve this without the attachment of any device whatsoever to the tenant." Professor Wolff teaches at Brunel University and assisted in pioneering this
project 
Newswires
