Rethinking care: residential modules and mobile diagnostics create new care pathways

Care for older adults is moving beyond the hospital and into their everyday living environment. The focus is on new care models that closely connect housing, nursing care, diagnostics, and telemedicine. Two recent projects from Germany demonstrate how this approach can be put into practice.

One new approach is TinyCareHome, developed by the Bosch Health Campus. Designed specifically for people with care needs, the accessible residential module combines private living space with sensor technology and digital assistance systems. The sensors can detect incidents such as falls, while digital applications support communication between residents, family members, and caregivers.

When further medical evaluation is needed, the DIKOM pilot project from Saarland University can come into play. The Mobile Geriatric Unit brings computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, X-ray, EEG, ECG, and laboratory diagnostics directly to long-term care facilities. Medical specialists work on site alongside healthcare professionals and paramedics. Additional specialists can be involved in image interpretation and clinical assessment immediately through secure telemedicine connections.

These two examples illustrate how care delivery and diagnostic workflows can evolve together. While TinyCareHome creates a new residential care environment supported by digital technologies, the Mobile Geriatric Unit brings essential diagnostic services directly to patients. Clinical findings can be securely transmitted and jointly evaluated. This can reduce hospital admissions solely for diagnostic purposes while improving collaboration between long-term care facilities, outpatient providers, and clinical specialists.

The two projects complement one another and form key elements of a shared care concept. TinyCareHome provides the physical and organizational foundation for independent living supported by digital technologies. The Mobile Geriatric Unit expands this environment with specialized diagnostics and telemedicine consultations. Together, they create an integrated care pathway that brings nursing care, diagnostics, and clinical decision-making closer to patients.

These examples showcase that digital technologies deliver the greatest value when they work together. Residential modules equipped with assistance systems, mobile diagnostics, and telemedicine are integrated into a continuous care pathway. As a result, medical services move closer to where people with care needs live, while long-term care facilities and clinical expertise become more closely connected.

Sources: Bosch Health Campus (German only), Saarland University