About half of the older adults in the Netherlands suffer from loneliness. This does not only impact their mental wellbeing, but also their overall health. It impacts them so much, that loneliness in elderly causes an annual increase of 50% in healthcare costs. The reason is that loneliness leads to many chronic diseases, such as Alzheimers or Malnutrition. That‘s why Sefora Tunc spent 1,5 years to research a potential solution together with more than 100 older adults. This resulted in the Ibilight.
The ibilight connects you to your grandparent from anywhere in the world. It is placed in their living room, but you are the only one who can turn it on. This signalises that you are thinking about them. It is a lamp, because most elderly people are lonely in the evening, and that’s the moment when they are most vulnerable. But you are not the only one who can show them that you care. At the same time, your grandparent can send notifications to you by just touching the light. No need to learn difficult apps or complicated technology.
The best part? You aren’t the only one looking out for Gramps or Granny, they are also looking out for you. If you forget turning on the light, they will wonder why. And that’s the moment they will grab the phone to call you and find out what’s wrong. Instead of being cared for, they are being the carers again, giving them more confidence. In conclusion: With the ibilight you empower your grandparents to go against loneliness. You strengthen your relationship, and pave the path for new friendships. You provide them with the support-system they need to fight loneliness.
The Ibilight is being well-received and won the category Prototype of the UT Challenge. It was also selected to represent the University of Twente at the Dutch Impact Challenge Finale in Helsinki. The Prize money of 4000 EURO has been invested in developing an improved version of the Ibilight to launch a Pilot study. If you are interested in testing the Ibilight, you can reach out directly to Sefora (s.s.s.tunc@utwente.nl).
