Most care activities are planned and protocolised out of necessity; financiers generally reimburse standard care ‘products’ consisting of a fixed allotment of effort and materials, which take into account the average patient but fall short in individual cases. This creates the problem of under- and overtreatment, both inefficient uses of a care professional’s time. We are active in various research and development projects which use technology to facilitate patients and care provider to flexibly scale up resources when needed (such as mobilizing an extra pair of hands to help in case of emergency), and prevent unnecessary appointments, such as when a family member has already helped an elderly resident get out of bed.