'Accident' sensing undies rolled out in NSW nursing home
March 26, 2010; Herald Sun
ELECTRONIC undies that can send text messages and pages when they sense dampness indicating an 'accident' are going to be introduced to nursing homes.
SIMsystem, the world's first electronic underpants, are to be introduced across NSW nursing homes to monitor incontinence.
An Australian invention, the SIMsystem first appeared on ABC's New Inventors program in 2008 and following successful trials in Victoria, will now be rolled out across NSW. SIMsystem looks like a regular incontinence pad but comes with a sensor strip that alerts staff to wetness by text message or over the facility's paging system.
CEO of Simavita, the company that owns the product, Philippa Lewis, said the invention will halve the time spent on incontinence management at nursing homes.
"Incontinence management is a key area in which innovative technologies can benefit aged care," Ms Lewis said today.
"We developed SIMsystem to provide greater comfort and dignity to the elderly while aiming to significantly lower costs for aged care facilities."