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The light is automatically switched on and off in order to save energy; so is the water tap. The only device that children do not approve of is the toothbrush alarm which reports whether the teeth have been brushed long enough.

The bathroom is especially helpful e.g. for grandpa who is slightly disoriented after a stroke. He forgets to shave and take his medication regularly. A mirror over the sink assists him. Illuminated pictograms show what is to do next: wash yourself, brush your teeth, shave and comb your hair. The days for showering are also stored. If the resident has to take pills, a voice from a loudspeaker reminds him of it. Alternatively, the medicine cabinet can also "talk" to him. It will also be decently illuminated when the medication is supposed to be taken.

"This custom-made assistance system is combined with the documentation of processes that happen in the bathroom", says Dr. Gudrun Stockmanns, section leader of Health&Care Solutions at IMS. Sensors at the door, toilet, tap, light switches and carpet record every activity electronically. This is important if one day the grandfather needs professional care. Doctors or nursing staff read on a computer screen which electronic nursing functions have been used, how often the elderly person has used the bath-room or the toilet and whether he fell down.

In emergency cases the computer automatically phones the nursing station or one of the persons whose details are stored on the hard disk.