Maplewood at Stony Hill, a dedicated memory care community in Bethel, CT, announced the rollout of an AI-powered fall prevention system following a highly successful pilot run at a sister property earlier this year. The technology, co-developed by Maplewood and Inspiren, Inc., is being installed in all 84 residential apartments at Maplewood’s Stony Hill community. Called AUGi (for Augmented Intelligence), it’s the world’s first cognitive resident care assistant, and will promote independence, help prevent injury, and instill peace of mind in residents living with early, mid-stage, and late-stage Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and their families.
AUGi demonstrated notable success during a 6-month, 33-unit pilot study at Inspīr Carnegie Hill, a luxury senior living community operated by Maplewood Senior Living on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The platform consists of a sleek wall-mounted automated sensor system that uses HIPAA-compliant computer vision, artificial intelligence, and advanced room environmental sensors to passively and continually observe resident and staff behavior while maintaining privacy. The system learns residents’ sleep patterns, mobility issues and general room activity, and successfully prompted over 400 documented staff interventions in high-fall-risk situations throughout the test period. These findings offer tremendous hope for the entire senior care industry, as falls in older adults (65+) result in over 32,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC.
“AUGi’s ability to monitor, triage, and alert staff to critical safety events has been a revolutionary tool for our caregivers,” said Brian Geyser, Maplewood’s Vice President of Health & Wellness, who coordinated the pilot program at Inspīr Carnegie Hill. “While our staff is already extraordinarily attentive, AUGi acts like an extra set of eyes on our most vulnerable residents, maximizing the productivity of our caregivers while simultaneously enhancing the sense of privacy and independence in our residents.”
As such, the platform had an astonishing 100% voluntary opt-in rate among residents, families and responsible parties, as well as a 99% staff adoption rate. During the pilot program, staff used the AUGi mobile app to check on assigned residents an average of 22 times per shift. AUGi also earned Maplewood a finalist spot in the McKnight’s 2023 Excellence in Technology Awards.
Maplewood at Stony Hill’s implementation of this cutting-edge technology is emblematic of their unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence. In 2021, the community earned Purple Flag accreditation, a prestigious accolade for communities meeting the highest standards of dementia care. To achieve accreditation, Maplewood at Stony Hill underwent the rigorous application process, which consists of an audit, the implementation of 10 themed procedures, and Purple Flag for Dementia Care’s 60 practice recommendations.
“AUGi will be a tremendous addition to our caregiving approach,” said Lauren Stowell, Executive Director at Maplewood at Stony Hill. “We embrace the capabilities of artificial intelligence as we strive to provide the best quality of life for our residents, which starts first and foremost with their safety.”
In addition to the 84 units at Maplewood at Stony Hill that will soon welcome AUGi, the technology will be under evaluation for future implementation across the Maplewood portfolio following an empirical study of AUGi’s effectiveness in partnership with Hunter College.
Maplewood at Stony Hill offers a mix of private, deluxe studio and one-bedroom apartments, starting at $6,450 a month. For personalized pricing, availability and touring, please visit https://www.maplewoodseniorliving.com/bethel-connecticut/contact/.
