For some of us, simple things like a slip or a fall are a minor inconvenience, But for older people, they can be severe and in some cases fatal.
One in 3 people aged 65 years or older falls each year. Falling is a serious health risk for the elderly and can result in broken bones and brain injuries.
The problem is particularly severe for those residing in aged care facilities.
Studies show that up to 50% of older people living in residential aged care services fall every year, with 40% experiencing recurrent falls.
Seniors may fall for a multitude of reasons.
- Issues with gait and mobility limit their ability to move freely
- Their eyesight, hearing and reflexes weaken over time
- Some medications increase the risk of falling because they make people sleepy or dizzy
- Seniors wearing multifocal lenses are at a greater risk of falling
Not all falls are detected in time. Caregivers work long hours and are frequently overburdened with administrative tasks, leaving little time to closely monitor residents.
With this in mind, here are a few strategies aged care facilities can put in place to prevent falls.
- Balance, gait and strength training for residents
- Individual or group physical therapy
- Regular eye checkup
- Correct vitamin-D deficiency
- Reduce the use of anti-depressants and sedatives
- Change from multifocal to single lens glasses. Multifocal lenses make it difficult for older people to negotiate raised surfaces, which can increase the risk of falls.
While taking steps to prevent falls is commendable, fall detection strategies are equally important.
Smartwatches and safety pendants fitted with accelerometers and gyroscopes can detect falls and raise an alarm for help. But although the technology works well, wearing these devices continuously is often an inconvenience, especially for those suffering from Parkinson’s or skin disorders.
But where smartwatches and sensors don’t quite fit the bill, assistive technology like eazense Powered by SOFIHUB is exactly what falls management in aged care needs.
eazense Powered by SOFIHUB is a passive, real-time falls detection system for the elderly based on new unique radar sensor technology
This radar sensor offers live falls and presence detection across multiple occupants in a room without the need for a wearable.
Here’s what this radar sensor does:
- Constantly tracks body position
- Provides live fall detection (including low impact falls)
- Detects, records, and logs activity in a room, from live fall detection to irregular movement without using cameras
- Notifies caregivers and central care teams via the SOFIHUB Cloud Portal, if certain levels of activity are outside of normal routines
eazense allows the elderly to live independently and with dignity, knowing that they will be cared for in an emergency.
For caregivers, it saves time and reduces the number of unnecessary visits, resulting in significantly lower healthcare costs.
Assistive technology like eazense takes the complexity out of fall management in aged care and allows help to be rushed to residents when it is most needed.
Visit SOFIHUB to know more about eazense.