Analyzing energy consumption patterns for solitary death in single-person elderly households
S. B. Choi, J. Choi, S. Ham
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AbstractSolitary death (kodokushi) has emerged as a significant social issue in South Korea, mirroring its prominence in Japan[1]. In South Korea, "solitary death" is legally defined as the passing of individuals who lived in a state of social isolation, disconnected from family members, relatives, and others, and who succumbed to factors such as suicide or illness. In particular, in Seoul, the risk of solitary death is increasing due to the rise in single-person households and the growing number of socially isolated elderly individuals. Preventing solitary death requires extensive efforts from social welfare workers, yet there is a shortage of both budget and personnel. To address this issue, Seoul is utilizing IoT technology to monitor the well-being of socially isolated households, aiming to provide timely assistance and support. However, the monitoring technology utilizing IoT is currently limited to early detection within three days after the occurrence of death. Therefore, there is a need for technology that utilizes artificial intelligence to detect crisis signals before death occurs. In this study, we aim to analyze changes in daily life patterns before death by using time-series data of power consumption and luminosity obtained from smart plugs installed in actual single-person households where solitary deaths occurred.Keywords: solitary death, IoT, smart plug, machine learning techniques
S. B. Choi, J. Choi, S. Ham (2024). Analyzing energy consumption patterns for solitary death in single-person elderly households. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.1128.opp