|
|
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With 1 in 4 seniors experiencing a fall every year according to the Centers for Disease Control, there’s been a relentless push to develop easier to use and more accurate fall detection technologies over the last decade.
However, one of the biggest challenges to the success of fall detection systems has been compliance. Over time, many seniors have stopped using wearable fall detection devices due to their size, discomfort, aesthetics, stigma and problems with false alarms.
A series of newer fall detection technologies are trying to overcome those challenges by replacing the traditional fall detection and medical alert pendants worn around the neck, with less conspicuous hardware and improved technologies. Below are some of the newer fall detection systems to hit the market.
-
Walabot Home
This is a wall mounted system that can detect falls without requiring any hardware to be worn. Upon detection, it automatically calls an emergency contact of your choice.
Walabot Home claims to use fall detection technology that is 4X as accurate as any other system on the market today. It uses a combination of motion sensing radio wave signals and machine learning to detect falls of all types.
The Walabot system is recommended for use in your bathroom or any room with dimensions of 12X16 feet. While this offers protection in the bathroom, it presents a challenge for those who want protection in all rooms, at all times. You would have to mount a Walabot system in each room to get appropriate coverage. Users also need Wi-Fi for the system to work, and the system would not work in the event of a power outage.
-
Starky Livio AI Hearing Aid
According to the National Council on Aging, people with mild hearing loss are 3 times more likely to experience a fall. Starky, one of the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturers, has taken note and developed fall detection technology embedded directly in its Livio AI hearing aid.
Starky uses built-in 3D sensors to detect when a wearer falls. Upon detection it sends a text alert to up to 3 emergency contacts of your choice. Starky claims that its fall detection technology is more accurate than those worn on the wrist or around the neck, because it’s affixed to your head, making it less likely to mistake daily activities for falls.
-
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple made a big splash with the introduction of the Series 4 Watch, less than a year ago. Aside from many other health monitoring technologies, The Apple Watch Series 4 also comes with automatic fall detection embedded in the watch. If the watch detects a fall, it will sound and alarm and display an alert. If the watch detects that you’re moving, it will not call emergency responders. However, if it does not detect movement, after about 60 seconds, it will automatically call emergency services, and notify them of your exact location.
Conclusion
Fall detection technologies are evolving rapidly, making them easier to use and less cumbersome to wear. Hopefully the improvements will result in wider adoption, increased independence and lower injury rates resulting from fall related complications.