A medicosocial videoconferencing tool for the elderly, impaired and long-term care patients

Abstract

In this paper we present TAM-TAM (Tele Assistance and Monitoring), a tool targeted to the elderly, impaired and long-term care patients. It provides social support, remote consultation, remote monitoring and training or rehabilitation group sessions through multi-user videoconferencing. TAM-TAM relies on a simple and minimalist interface based on accessible standard web technologies and open video streaming solutions compatible with traditional (desktop and laptop) PCs as well as last generation tablet PCs. TAM-TAM proves useful to be deployed at nursing homes, group homes and even private homes for alleviating the patients' loneliness and depressive status and improving their emotional and social support thanks to their interaction with their families, social carers or psychologists. On the other hand, it is also used for providing remote medical services to give advice and determine whether it is needed to take a further displacement. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.