Kansas Pilot Study Shows AI Reduces Nursing Facility Days for Older Adults

Participants who qualified for nursing home care spent less than half as many days in nursing facilities, and reported less depression and loneliness.

LOS GATOS, CA, UNITED STATES, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A year in a nursing home now costs a national median of $115,000 to $130,000. A Kansas pilot tested a far less expensive option for older adults who need that level of care: staying in their own homes, supported by in-home support services, camera-free sensors, and artificial intelligence that learn each person’s daily routine and alert caregivers when something changes.

Zemplee, an AI-powered senior care technology company, and Windsor Place At-Home Care, a Kansas home based care provider, today released preliminary findings from a pilot in a white paper titled Nursing Homes Without Walls. Compared with the period before the pilot, participants spent less than half as many days in nursing facilities, and their depression and loneliness scores dropped significantly. The technology cost less than $600 per person per month.
The pilot followed 121 Kansans on Medicaid who qualified for nursing home care but lived at home. They averaged 73 years old, and 91% were living with three or more chronic conditions. Windsor Place ran the pilot with the University of Kansas Medical Center and UnitedHealthcare of Kansas, with funding from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. The program won two Golds at the 2026 McKnight’s Tech Awards.

Why it matters
About 90% of older adults say they want to age at home. Medicaid pays for 44% of long-term nursing home care nationally, and Kansas’s average daily Medicaid nursing facility rate rose about 32% between 2022 and 2025. Meanwhile, roughly 63 million Americans are now caring for a family member, often while holding down a job.

What the pilot found
Less depression and loneliness: depression scores fell 45% and loneliness scores 29%; both changes were statistically significant.
Half as many nursing facility days: the group’s total days in skilled nursing facilities fell 54%.
More than two years at home: of the 109 participants included in the analysis, people stayed in the program and at home for an average of 27.4 months. Only 7 (about 6%) had to be transitioned into nursing homes because of their conditions.
Fewer hospital stays for the sickest: among the 19% of the highest-risk participants, hospitalizations fell 10% after a brief increase earlier in the program attributed to early intervention from case finding.
People liked it: every participant found the technology helpful and easy to use, and 90% said they felt more independent.

How it works
Using small sensors placed around the home, without cameras or microphones, capture patterns in movement, sleep, and daily routines. Zemplee’s Attentive AI™ learns each person’s usual patterns and flags meaningful changes—such as disrupted sleep, reduced activity, or changes in daily routines—so caregivers can check in early and address potential concerns. Participants also received daily vital-sign monitoring and used Amazon Echo Show devices to stay connected with family and caregivers.

“Every family I speak with wants the same thing: for the person they love to stay safely at home,” said Aparna Pujar, founder and CEO of Zemplee. “This pilot shows that goal is realistic even for people who already qualify for nursing home care. Early detection of small changes in routine that come before a crisis, without cameras or wearables, enables care teams so they can act earlier and people can stay where their lives are.”
Zemplee is inviting state Medicaid programs, health plans, and other care organizations to bring the model to more communities. Organizations can reach the team at nhwwstudy@zemplee.com. The full white paper is available at https://zemplee.com/en-us/nursing-homes-without-walls.

About Zemplee
Zemplee turns everyday living into intelligent and proactive care. Its Attentive AI™ technology uses passive, private sensors (no cameras, no wearables) to learn each person’s daily patterns and alert care teams to meaningful changes early. Zemplee is an AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP portfolio company and a winner of two Golds at the 2026 McKnight’s Tech Awards, the Products That Count 2026 Q1 Product Awards, and the AARP Audience Choice Award for AI in Aging. Learn more at zemplee.com.

About Windsor Place At-Home Care
Windsor Place At-Home Care is a Kansas-based care organization that supports older adults through home- and community-based services designed to preserve independence, safety, and quality of life.

Shaun Chavis
Zemplee
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