Eskaton Partners with SMUD and Stack Labs to Enhance Comfort and Safety for Older Adults

Eskaton recently partnered with SMUD, a community-owned and not-for-profit electric service, and Stack Labs, whose light bulbs address circadian rhythm, to launch a technology pilot in order to measure the effect of lighting on older adults. The new pilot will shine a light on seniors to measure their sleep quality and reduction of fall risk.

“Thirteen units with a total of fifteen residents at Eskaton Monroe Lodge will be outfitted with sensor technology to study circadian rhythm. We are also expanding the pilot to include Eskaton Village Roseville,” said Eskaton Executive Director Tristin Benjamin. “The 24-hour cycle of light, known as circadian rhythm, impacts a person’s mood and sleep cycle.”

Lighting also has a dramatic impact on fall risk. Neil Joseph, founder and CEO of the three-year-old startup Stack Labs, designed an automatic sensor to modify lighting and a platform to collect data on movement and sleep quality.  The innovative sensor, a custom light bulb, took the tech community by surprise during the 2016 Aging 2.0 Global Startup Search. Stack Labs first won the Sacramento Startup Search before winning first place at the annual conference in San Francisco against startups from over twenty countries.

Stack Labs first partnered with SMUD in early 2016 to create a lighting rebate program when it became apparent that Stack’s technology had the potential to positively impact millions of people’s lives.

“SMUD has been working with our community to test emerging lighting technologies for nearly two decades,” said Dave Bisbee, SMUD Research and Development Project Manager. “We are really excited to see technologies that have the potential to save energy and improve the quality of people's lives.”

The two-month study at Eskaton will collect sleep and motion data. The pre- and post-surveys of the participating seniors will help measure the effectiveness of the automated lighting. The data collected by Stack’s Care Platform will be evaluated from a caregiver’s perspective.

“After completing our pilot, we look forward to making the Care Platform widely available in 2017 to community-based and in-home care providers, as well as directly to families with loved ones who are aging in place,” concluded Joseph.

About Eskaton 

The vision of Eskaton is to transform the aging experience. Its dedicated team members provide services and support for nearly 12,000 individuals annually who live in Eskaton communities or participate in its comprehensive home-support services. Eskaton services include independent living, assisted living, memory care, short-term stays, rehabilitation and skilled nursing, adult day, home health, in-home care, and affordable housing. Eskaton is pet-friendly.

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