Fall Arm Project- over View
According to a health report published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly 1 in every
3 people over age of 65 suffer from severe injuries caused by fall (CDC, 2009). This fall risk factor increase with an increase in age due to change in sense of balance, slow reaction time, muscle weakness, etc. Hospitals have incorporated techniques to prevent reduction of fall. Prevention of fall needs a pro active approach from everyone including patient and staff. Since many elderly individuals live alone, remote monitoring system would be a solution to watch for patient activity and send alert message to caregivers directly on their device upon detection of an adverse event .
The United Nations predicts that by the year 2050, 22% of the global population will be aged 60 years or over, from current 11.2% (2011). This ageing population has brought about multiple challenges and opportunities to the healthcare industry. One of these challenges is fall and injury prevention of the aged in hospitals, care facilities, as well as home settings. The Fallarm project is to develop a technology which can prevent and detect accidental falls, keep the person informed about the risks while they are moving around, and also inform the hospital care team, or the family members in case of an event. A wristband to be worn in the wrist will provide the inputs to the system. The sensors in this band will monitor and record the movement and activities of the person, while keeping the person informed of his risk status at all times. The sensors will also detect a fall and report it to the care team so that appropriate action can be taken to minimize the impacts of the fall. The system will continuously update itself based on the data from the sensor and will maintain a risk profile, mobility patterns, adverse events record of its users. This historical data in turn will be provided to the sensors to more accurately identify and prevent a fall. The idea is to enable
3 people over age of 65 suffer from severe injuries caused by fall (CDC, 2009). This fall risk factor increase with an increase in age due to change in sense of balance, slow reaction time, muscle weakness, etc. Hospitals have incorporated techniques to prevent reduction of fall. Prevention of fall needs a pro active approach from everyone including patient and staff. Since many elderly individuals live alone, remote monitoring system would be a solution to watch for patient activity and send alert message to caregivers directly on their device upon detection of an adverse event .
The United Nations predicts that by the year 2050, 22% of the global population will be aged 60 years or over, from current 11.2% (2011). This ageing population has brought about multiple challenges and opportunities to the healthcare industry. One of these challenges is fall and injury prevention of the aged in hospitals, care facilities, as well as home settings. The Fallarm project is to develop a technology which can prevent and detect accidental falls, keep the person informed about the risks while they are moving around, and also inform the hospital care team, or the family members in case of an event. A wristband to be worn in the wrist will provide the inputs to the system. The sensors in this band will monitor and record the movement and activities of the person, while keeping the person informed of his risk status at all times. The sensors will also detect a fall and report it to the care team so that appropriate action can be taken to minimize the impacts of the fall. The system will continuously update itself based on the data from the sensor and will maintain a risk profile, mobility patterns, adverse events record of its users. This historical data in turn will be provided to the sensors to more accurately identify and prevent a fall. The idea is to enable