EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES REVOLUTIONIZE FALL DETECTION SYSTEMS

From Detection to Prevention, Read How New Technologies Are Safeguarding Our Older Population

Accidental falls are a frequent cause of serious of injury for our older population and often result in lengthy stays in hospital. In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of personal emergency response systems (PERS) hitting the market. Back in the seventies, PERS were essentially push-button devices worn around the neck that alerted emergency responders via a phone-linked base station. Things have changed a lot since then, “emerging technologies have have paved the way for more reliable and performance-driven fall detection systems based on sensor technology, GPS localization and wireless communication technologies.”

Fall detection methods for the elderly can be grouped into three main categories: Vision-based, ambient-based and wearable-based methods. Vision-based systems are the most common solution found in nursing facilities. The major drawback of these systems is that they compromise patient privacy and are expensive. Ambient-based systems use sensors installed around the home or hospital to detect falls, a frequent shortcoming of these devices is “that they are too sensitive and may trigger false alarms.” Existing wearable fall detection systems have been improved by incorporating technologies such as accelerometers and gyroscopes “that analyze unusual misalignment in the body’s position to determine if a fall has occurred.”

New innovative products such as Vigi’Fall and Kinesis QTUG offer miniaturized solutions for fall detection and are part of new wave of systems that could provide more consistent and accurate detection.