Danish company Wear&Care is transforming incontinence care with a discreet wearable sensor that notifies staff when a pad needs changing. By reducing unnecessary checks and avoiding undignified or premature pad changes, the solution frees up valuable staff time while improving comfort, dignity, and well-being for residents.
After being spotted at an exhibition in Aarhus, Wear&Care was invited to join the ACE project by Höganäs Municipality in Sweden. The collaboration allows the company to expand its reach, refine its system across different care contexts, and gain vital export experience in the European market.
With documented results including 48% less time spent in wet pads, 45% fewer night-time pad changes, and a measurable boost to resident wellbeing, Wear&Care is demonstrating how simple, scalable technology can make a profound difference in elderly care.
We spoke with CEO Claus Ipsen, about the origins of Wear&Care, the challenges of changing care routines, and how the ACE project is helping accelerate the adoption of dignified, data-driven incontinence care across Europe.
Can you introduce Wear&Care and explain how your wearable sensor technology works?
CI: Our Wear&Care sensor technology optimises incontinence care by providing a clear notification when a pad is full. It helps staff and residents to reduce unnecessary pad checks and changes, free up staff time, optimise care, and increase dignity for residents.
Your solution is being implemented in elderly care settings, part of pilot collaborations through the ACE Community Platform. How did these collaborations come about?
CI: The collaboration with the ACE project began when Höganäs Municipality in Sweden saw our exhibition at Dok X in Aarhus Municipality. As Aarhus is also part of the ACE project, the collaboration began there. Höganäs Municipality then reached out to us at Wear&Care and asked if we wanted to be part of the project – which we, of course, agreed to.
What impact do you hope to achieve with Wear&Care, and how is the ACE project supporting this ambition?
CI: With Wear&Care, we hope to optimise incontinence care in more municipalities and regions, as we can see the positive results it provides to our existing customers. Through the collaboration, we also hope to gain export experience and insights into the Swedish care sector, so our system can be further optimised for even more languages and national contexts in the future.
What inspired you to develop your product?
CI: Wear&Care was founded on the idea of a social and healthcare assistant who wanted to change the way we handle incontinence in elderly care. Together with an engineer, they created the first Wear&Care sensor, which has since been further developed and improved, as we wanted it to be independent of internal infrastructure. Our final version of the sensor works without Wi-Fi and fits all types and brands of pads. It is designed to make care more dignified for residents, as staff avoid unnecessary and undignified pad changes, benefitting both residents and staff.
Can you share examples or data showing how your solution has reduced unnecessary pad changes, optimised staff time, or improved resident quality of life?
CI: Aarhus Municipality has also implemented Wear&Care and has documented the before and after effects of implementation, with positive results:
- 48% less time spent in a wet pad
- 45% fewer pad changes at night
- 56% fewer unnecessary pad checks/changes
- 25% fewer clothing changes
- Fewer infections and illnesses
- Improved well-being among residents
- More time for social interaction and care for residents
What have been the biggest challenges in introducing your solution to homecare and elderly care settings, and how have you overcome them?
CI: The greatest challenge in implementing Wear&Care is the change in care routines – in other words, changing staff habits. To solve this challenge, we have refined the implementation process so that staff are guided and trained throughout. This makes the transition easier, as Wear&Care supports staff every step of the way.
What insights from your early implementations have been most valuable for improving care processes or expanding adoption?
CI: From our early implementations, we recognised the need to introduce AHA meetings with clients' incontinence nurses. These sessions allow Wear&Care to continuously receive feedback and optimise the implementation process. During the meetings, we share insights into users' urination patterns, enabling nurses to better understand their care needs. This exchange provides the most valuable practical knowledge, supporting continuous improvements in the system.
Would you recommend the ACE Community Platform and project to other companies or innovative care stakeholders? If so, why? What value has it brought to you so far?
CI: At Wear&Care, we strongly recommend the ACE Community Platform to other innovative companies seeking export experience and demonstrable results with their product. Wear&Care has carried out many trials and pilot projects in different municipalities, all of which have achieved the same positive results. The ACE project can therefore serve as a foundation so that future municipalities will not need pilot tests, as they can see the positive results from this project. Municipalities that opt out of pilot testing can thus get started faster and achieve benefits more quickly.