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Australian company Simavita has created an “electronic diaper” that would show when and how often an elderly patient empties their bladder. A sensor is placed into the person’s incontinence pad or diaper, and creates a profile of the user’s incontinence needs.
“The live bladder chart completely changes the way we manage that person (resident) and their care,” Simavita chief executive Philippa Lewis was quoted in The Australian.
From looking at the bladder chart, the caretaker can also determine what makes the resident want to discharge urine, such as when they are being lifted from a chair. This live bladder chart is designed to help caregivers better understand the resident’s needs and how they can better care for them in the future.
Current protocols to incontinence management require the caregiver to check and change the resident’s diaper or pad every few hours. While this may help decrease pressure sores and diaper rashes, it doesn’t provide the caregiver with evidence-based data of the resident’s unique incontinence issues.
With their new device, Simavita hopes to cut down on the costs of incontinence products used and the time and labor used to manage incontinent patients. More than 25 percent of labor costs in aged care facilities go towards continence management.
So far, Simavita has raised $14 million to help market the device in the US. The electronic diaper is expected to be worth $1 billion in the US alone.