Gp Care Suicide
Falling has always been a major concern among the elderly[1] ,it is the leading cause of death due to injury[2] . Injuries sustained from falling may vary from bruising to premature death. With more than 6 out of 10 falls happening at home[3] , a worrying research done by University of Cambridge reveals that 4 out of 5 needed help getting up and about 30% remained on the floor for over an hour.[4] In 2011, 6 elderly die alone each month in their own homes [5] in which some cases could be linked to an accidental fall and being unable to call for help.
Falling while alone is dangerous regardless of where the fall takes place. Schemes such as the Alert Alarm System (AAS)[6] and wireless motion sensors[7] are already in place to assist the elderly …show more content…
get help. However, such method may be inefficient, as the motion sensor requires a period of inactivity to be activated while the AAS is only accessible in the toilet and living room. Therefore, more should be done to ensure that help is always immediate and accessible for an elderly who fall especially during the golden hour.
GP-Care aims to provide swift assistance to the user.
GP-Care is a microchip device (10 x 5 x 2mm) integrated with a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker and gyroscope. It is easily built into common accessories used by elderly such as walking stick, pendant, bracelet or rings. GP-Care will be activated when the user presses the distress button or when the gyroscope detects a sudden change in orientation consistent with a fall[8]. A mobile application will be also be developed for the respondent’s use to monitor the location of the device, gyroscope report as well as links to important contacts such as paramedics and police. Upon activation, an automated call would be made to the respondents and attempts would only cease when one of the respondents acknowledges the automated call.
GP-Care will offer peace of mind not only to the elderly user but also to their respondents knowing that help is just a click away within their favorite accessory. Moreover, GP-Care will be able to assist for a swift dispatch of help by providing user’s exact location.
The following steps will be taken to develop GP-Care:
1. Collaborate with Starcom Systems and InvenSense, who will provide the GPS and Gyroscope technology.
2. Our product development team will explore the possible integration of the GP-Care into accessories.
3. Smartphone application will be also developed by our software engineers. The application will be exclusive to GP-Care users where a unique code is issued to the respondents …show more content…
to access the application.
GPS device $30
Gyroscope $40
Accessories $50
Software $150
Total Cost: $270
Although measures can lower the chances of falling[9], falling is still an inevitable occurrence. With Singapore’s seniors aged 65 and above living alone projected to increase from 35,000-83,000 by 2030[a], devices such as GP-Care should come complementary to their lifestyle to ensure help is always at hand.
[1] World Health Organisation. (2012, October). Falls; Key Facts [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs344/en/
[2] Learn NOT to fall. (2012). Falls Facts [Online]. Available:http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/fall-facts/how-often.jsp
[3] C.H Poon (2012, August 21).
The Straits Time. [Newspaper]
[4] N.A. (2009, July 22). ‘Research Finds That Many Older People Can’t Get Up After A Fall’. [Online]
Available: http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sns-health-older-people-fall-research-story.html
[5] J.A Baker (2011, May 30). The Straits Time. About 6 elderly S’poreans die alone each month. [Newspaper]
[6] N.A. (2014, March 07). HDB InfoWEB: Project LIFE. [Online]
Available: http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10323p.nsf/w/RentalTenantProjectLIFE?OpenDocument
[7] N.A. (2013, July 13). The New Paper: Elderly Residents get help in monitoring system. [Newspaper]
Available: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/elderly-residents-get-help-monitoring-system?page=0%2C1
[8] Li Q, Stankovic JA, Hanson MA, Barth AT, Lach J, Zhou G (2009). Accurate, fast fall detection using gyroscopes and accelerometer-derived posture information. [Conference Paper]
Available: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~stankovic/psfiles/bsn09-1.pdf
[9] N.A. (2013, September 23). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. [Online]
Available: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/OlderAmericans/
[10] J. Tai & L.K Lim (2012, April 12). The Straits Time.
[Newspaper]
Falling while alone is dangerous regardless of where the fall takes place. Schemes such as the Alert Alarm System (AAS)[6] and wireless motion sensors[7] are already in place to assist the elderly …show more content…
get help. However, such method may be inefficient, as the motion sensor requires a period of inactivity to be activated while the AAS is only accessible in the toilet and living room. Therefore, more should be done to ensure that help is always immediate and accessible for an elderly who fall especially during the golden hour.
GP-Care aims to provide swift assistance to the user.
GP-Care is a microchip device (10 x 5 x 2mm) integrated with a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker and gyroscope. It is easily built into common accessories used by elderly such as walking stick, pendant, bracelet or rings. GP-Care will be activated when the user presses the distress button or when the gyroscope detects a sudden change in orientation consistent with a fall[8]. A mobile application will be also be developed for the respondent’s use to monitor the location of the device, gyroscope report as well as links to important contacts such as paramedics and police. Upon activation, an automated call would be made to the respondents and attempts would only cease when one of the respondents acknowledges the automated call.
GP-Care will offer peace of mind not only to the elderly user but also to their respondents knowing that help is just a click away within their favorite accessory. Moreover, GP-Care will be able to assist for a swift dispatch of help by providing user’s exact location.
The following steps will be taken to develop GP-Care:
1. Collaborate with Starcom Systems and InvenSense, who will provide the GPS and Gyroscope technology.
2. Our product development team will explore the possible integration of the GP-Care into accessories.
3. Smartphone application will be also developed by our software engineers. The application will be exclusive to GP-Care users where a unique code is issued to the respondents …show more content…
to access the application.
GPS device $30
Gyroscope $40
Accessories $50
Software $150
Total Cost: $270
Although measures can lower the chances of falling[9], falling is still an inevitable occurrence. With Singapore’s seniors aged 65 and above living alone projected to increase from 35,000-83,000 by 2030[a], devices such as GP-Care should come complementary to their lifestyle to ensure help is always at hand.
[1] World Health Organisation. (2012, October). Falls; Key Facts [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs344/en/
[2] Learn NOT to fall. (2012). Falls Facts [Online]. Available:http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/fall-facts/how-often.jsp
[3] C.H Poon (2012, August 21).
The Straits Time. [Newspaper]
[4] N.A. (2009, July 22). ‘Research Finds That Many Older People Can’t Get Up After A Fall’. [Online]
Available: http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sns-health-older-people-fall-research-story.html
[5] J.A Baker (2011, May 30). The Straits Time. About 6 elderly S’poreans die alone each month. [Newspaper]
[6] N.A. (2014, March 07). HDB InfoWEB: Project LIFE. [Online]
Available: http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10323p.nsf/w/RentalTenantProjectLIFE?OpenDocument
[7] N.A. (2013, July 13). The New Paper: Elderly Residents get help in monitoring system. [Newspaper]
Available: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/elderly-residents-get-help-monitoring-system?page=0%2C1
[8] Li Q, Stankovic JA, Hanson MA, Barth AT, Lach J, Zhou G (2009). Accurate, fast fall detection using gyroscopes and accelerometer-derived posture information. [Conference Paper]
Available: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~stankovic/psfiles/bsn09-1.pdf
[9] N.A. (2013, September 23). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. [Online]
Available: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/OlderAmericans/
[10] J. Tai & L.K Lim (2012, April 12). The Straits Time.
[Newspaper]