Designing and Testing a Connected System for Heating Delivered Food for Elderly People – Introducing the AAL project PREPARIO

Existing meal preparation solutions are inadequate for many elderly people who struggle to reheat their delivered meals. It is common for meals to be over or underheated, which can ruin the meal itself as well as the eating experience. In some cases, this leads to malnutrition and serious illness, and in other cases, caregivers are required to assist with food preparation on a daily basis, time that could be better spent with the client and a major financial burden to society. In addition, stakeholders, such as caregivers, have limited means of obtaining feedback from older people about potential problems with meal preparation, which prevents critical and efficient support. The Active and Assisted Living Joint Project (AAL JP) PREPARIO aims to develop a solution that enables seniors to prepare their meals safely and independently at home, with external digital monitoring to enable efficient care. The solution consists of an innovative microwave oven with wireless temperature control that enables fully automated heating of delivered meals to the optimal serving temperature. The entire heating process is supported by a digital voice assistance platform "Emma" and a Smart Living Data Space that collects all data relevant to the food preparation process and provides structured reports for caregivers and service providers for closer monitoring and support.