Smart Garments for Elderly Health Monitoring and Active Living

As the global population ages, the need for innovative solutions to support elderly health and independence is becoming increasingly urgent. Smart garments—wearable textiles embedded with electronic sensors—are emerging as a transformative technology for elderly health monitoring and active living.

Why Smart Garments for the Elderly?

Aging and Health Challenges: Elderly individuals are more likely to develop comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Continuous health monitoring can help prevent complications and reduce hospitalizations.
Preference for Independence: Most elderly people prefer to remain in their own homes, even if it means higher caregiver costs. Smart garments enable unobtrusive monitoring, supporting autonomy while ensuring safety.
Rising Healthcare Costs: With the number of people over 79 expected to triple by 2060, healthcare systems face mounting pressure. Smart garments can help streamline care and reduce costs by enabling early intervention and remote monitoring.

How Do Smart Garments Work?

Smart garments incorporate biomedical sensors into comfortable, everyday clothing, allowing them to monitor vital signs such as:

Pulse
Body temperature
Skin moisture (humidity)
Breathing rhythm

The data collected is processed by embedded microcontrollers and transmitted wirelessly to aggregators like smartphones or directly to cloud platforms. This enables real-time monitoring by healthcare professionals or caregivers, and can trigger alerts in case of abnormal readings.

Key Components

Sensors: Noninvasive, miniaturized devices for continuous monitoring of physiological parameters.
Conductive Yarns: Special fibers (e.g., stainless steel, copper, or polymer-based) woven into textiles to transmit electrical signals without sacrificing comfort or flexibility.
Embedded Electronics: Microcontrollers and communication modules integrated into the fabric or attached via modular connectors.
Cloud Computing: Data storage, analysis, and decision support systems, ensuring data privacy and accessibility for authorized users.

Benefits of Smart Garments

Comfort and Usability: Designed to be lightweight, flexible, and washable, smart garments minimize discomfort and maximize wearability.
Continuous, Nonintrusive Monitoring: Unlike traditional hospital equipment, smart garments allow for mobility and normal daily activities.
Early Detection and Alerts: Real-time data analysis enables early detection of health issues (e.g., heart irregularities, hypoglycemia), reducing emergency incidents1.
Reduced Healthcare Costs: By enabling remote monitoring and timely interventions, smart garments help decrease hospital admissions and caregiver expenses.
Data-Driven Decisions: Cloud-based analytics support healthcare providers in making informed decisions and personalizing care plans.

Challenges and Considerations

Integration and Durability: Embedding electronics into textiles while maintaining comfort and washability is a technical challenge.
Data Accuracy and Fault Tolerance: Textile properties can affect signal quality. Systems must be designed to handle data loss and ensure reliable readings.
Privacy and Security: Handling sensitive health data requires robust security and privacy measures, especially when using cloud platforms.
Power Consumption: Ensuring sufficient battery life and low power operation is essential for practical, long-term use.

Future Directions

Advanced Materials: Research is ongoing into new fibers and coatings to improve conductivity, comfort, and durability.
Enhanced Data Fusion: Combining data from multiple sensors and sources for more accurate health assessments and predictive analytics.
Personalized Monitoring: Tailoring sensor configurations and alert thresholds to individual health profiles and risk factors.
Integration with IoT and Smart Homes: Connecting smart garments with other ambient sensors and devices for a holistic approach to elderly care1.

Conclusion

Smart garments represent a promising frontier in elderly health monitoring and active living. By seamlessly blending technology with everyday clothing, they empower seniors to maintain independence, improve quality of life, and enable caregivers and healthcare providers to deliver proactive, data-driven care.

References

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Pinheiro, G. P. M., Miranda, R. K., Praciano, B. J. G., Santos, G. A., Mendonça, F. L. L., Javidi, E., da Costa, J. P. J., & de Sousa, R. T., Jr (2022). Multi-Sensor Wearable Health Device Framework for Real-Time Monitoring of Elderly Patients Using a Mobile Application and High-Resolution Parameter Estimation. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 15, 750591. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.750591
Wenjin, H., Tajuddin, R. M., & Shariff, S. M. (2024). Construction of Smart Clothing Service System for the Health and Well-Being of the Aging Community in a Sustainable Society. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(2), e02870. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n02.pe02870