Dementia Patients to Be Tracked by Utility “Smart” Meters Despite Many Problems Associated with Utility “Smart” Meters

By B.N. Frank

Tens of millions of “Smart” Meters have already been installed in the U.S. and around the world. They have been associated with so many issues that a documentary was produced and released in 2013, Take Back Your Power. It was updated in 2017 and is free to watch online.

Issues associated with them include fires, explosions, malfunctioning appliances, measurement errors, and inflated bills. None of that is obviously good for dementia patients or anyone else really. They also emit harmful wireless WiFi radiation. Research has determined that exposure to wireless radiation can disrupt the blood-brain barrier which may cause it to leak. This can also kill brain cells. Regardless, utility “Smart” Meters are going to be installed in homes of dementia patients in the UK so they can be monitored and tracked. As if these dementia patients didn’t already have enough problems…

From DailyMail:

Dementia patients to be tracked by smart meters so that doctors can monitor any sudden changes that indicate illness, falls or mental decline

Devices will track patients’ daily routines such as when they boil the kettle

Meters then send alerts to family members or carers who can check on patients

Critics warn about a huge range of privacy concerns over data sharing

The NHS is to use energy smart meters to monitor dementia patients in their homes.

[…]

They will flag up any sudden change in behaviour which could indicate an illness, a fall or a decline in their mental state. The meters will be able to send alerts to family members or carers, who can pop round to check if the patient is all right.

[…]

Privacy campaigners warn that the meters will hand suppliers a ‘honeypot’ of data which could be sold on to marketing firms or fall into the hands of hackers.

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University and the Mersey Care NHS Trust plan to carry out the initial dementia trial on 50 patients, beginning in October.

This will test the ability of the meters to monitor patients’ health and the general progression of their disease. If successful, the trial will be extended to involve 1,000 patients across four NHS trusts.

The smart meters involved in the dementia study can monitor patients’ energy use every ten seconds. They will be connected to a central computer system which will learn patients’ daily routines, such as when they normally use certain electrical appliances.