Technology can play a vital role in supporting growing social care demands as more people live longer into old age.
The UAE's population is ageing quickly, with healthcare improvements and long-term visas allowing more to grow old in the emirates.
And Japan could be the example to follow when it comes to caring for the elderly, with specialist cameras mooted as a solution to help safeguard those with dementia.
The focus on elderly care has gained momentum due to the UAE's predominantly youthful population and its significant health advancements
Prof Abdel Rahman Omer,
group medical director at Burjeel Holdings
National data shows that, for the first time, 10 per cent of Japan’s 125 million population are aged 80 or older, with almost 29 per cent older than 65.
Technology developed by Ridgelinez Limited – a subsidiary of Fujitsu – uses AI to allow medical professionals, care staff, or trusted members of communities to provide better care for those with dementia by analysing camera footage based on their walking patterns.
“The technology is not intended to diagnose but rather to offer professionals entrusted with the well-being of the elderly a new tool to offer better, less invasive care,” Dr Akira Kato, industry group manager at Ridgelinez, told The National.
“The technology helps users identify people with gait characteristics of those with dementia or cognitive decline, which might include narrowed stride length, shuffling feet, hunched posture or slightly parted legs."
Dr Kato said the cameras would be effective in "areas where elderly people with dementia are active in their daily lives" but the technology would be "mainly used in settings including nursing homes and residences, with a special emphasis on privacy".
Dementia-inclusive society
Researchers at Ridgelinez worked alongside Japan’s National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre Hospital and Noel, a Nagoya-based developer of AI solutions, to develop the highly accurate human motion analytics-sensing technology to created a new algorithm for scanning and identifying gait data.
The technology was initially developed as the foundation for Fujitsu's judging support system, a gymnastics scoring method used in international competitions, in partnership with the International Gymnastics Federation.
“The aim is to realise a society where elderly people with dementia can be better supported by detecting them based on their walking patterns and discreetly offering them help, as outlined in the Japanese government’s vision of a dementia-inclusive society,” said Dr Kato.
“Theoretically, existing CCTV systems could be retrofitted with the technology.
“We will first focus on a system that can be used for Japan’s society in accordance with Japanese law and guidelines, and think we might then be able to expand the technology to other countries, of course following rigorous due diligence to ensure compliance with ethical frameworks, cultural preferences and personal privacy.”
As part of the goals of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, the emirate aims to enter the ranks of the world’s top 10 cities for life expectancy by 2033.
Targets include enhancing healthcare and adopting advanced nutritional methods that promote lifelong health and vitality.
Expanding green spaces, establishing more bike lanes, offering additional opportunities for outdoor sports activities and redesigning neighbourhoods to enable residents to shop and work closer to home are all potential solutions to improve healthy ageing.
Elderly care focus
Prof Abdel Rahman Omer, group medical director at Burjeel Holdings, said integrated services of preventive and curative medical care would be critical.
“The focus on elderly care has gained momentum, albeit later than other initiatives, due to the UAE's predominantly youthful population and its significant health advancements,” he said.
“The implementation of disruptive innovations, facilitated by AI, has significantly enhanced elderly care services.
“Future infrastructure development will rely on advanced technologies, such as location trackers, remote monitoring and treatment systems, and communication devices, in place of outdated methods like CCTV.”
Ageing population trends have led to an increase in the numbers diagnosed with dementia.
As identified in the latest Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, risk factors include high body-mass index, high fasting plasma glucose and smoking.
Meanwhile, research in The Lancet Public Health estimates a global increase in the number of people with dementia, from 57.4 million cases in 2019 to 152.8 million cases by 2050.
Dr Mehak Singh, a specialist at the Canadian Specialist Hospital in Dubai and a King’s College London fellow in stem cells and regenerative medicine, said isolation is a contributing factor that must be addressed.
“Healthy ageing is a big part of regenerative medicine and functional medicine but it is also something that not a lot of people can afford,” said Dr Singh, who has worked in the UK’s NHS and in the Indian healthcare system.
“Loneliness is the biggest driving force, in the UK, for example, if it is not a family-centric society, like in India where it is more common.
“In Indian society, care homes are looked down upon.
“If you left your parents alone there, it's not something that is very socially acceptable.”
Global plan
Backed by the UN General Assembly in August 2020, the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030 plan highlights the central role of policy change in promoting healthy ageing, including dementia care.
A global action plan calls on nations to establish a focal point responsible for dementia and ageing within health ministries.
So far, only 26 per cent of countries have achieved qualifying criteria within health systems to provide adequate support for ageing populations.
“Each country is different in the way older people are cared for and the price of services and medication are also a factor – in India this kind of health care is much more affordable,” said Dr Singh.
“Leaving people on their own without their family support can be a trigger for other health problems.”
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
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Wed, Aug 29:
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- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
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Thu, Aug 30:
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- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
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UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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