Patent Pending - 64/082,859

ABSTRACT
A system and method for progressive welfare verification and escalating intervention are disclosed. The invention is configured to determine, assess, infer, estimate, or otherwise evaluate the welfare status of a cared-for individual through one or more verification activities, communication activities, monitoring activities, and intervention activities. Welfare verification requests may be communicated through one or more communication modalities including visual, audio, electronic, network-based, wireless, sensor-based, or other interaction mechanisms.
The invention may utilize progressive verification procedures in which information is obtained from a plurality of sources and used to reduce uncertainty regarding the welfare status of the cared-for individual. An escalation engine may transition through multiple escalation states, progressively increasing communication prominence, verification efforts, information gathering activities, caregiver involvement, and intervention activities until sufficient confidence regarding welfare status is achieved or one or more termination criteria are satisfied.
In various embodiments, welfare status determinations may be based upon confirmations, responsiveness measurements, historical behavior analysis, confidence assessments, sensor information, environmental information, caregiver input, artificial intelligence analysis, or combinations thereof. The invention may further maintain auditable records of verification activities, escalation actions, confirmations, and welfare determinations.
In one preferred embodiment, welfare verification requests are communicated through a television-based interface and may be progressively escalated through visual, audio, and multi-modal interaction mechanisms. The invention may be implemented in healthcare, caregiving, senior living, wellness monitoring, post-surgical monitoring, hospitality, institutional, residential, commercial, and other environments.