There’s a lot of talk of hot, new technologies in the senior care industries that are poised to revolutionize delivery of care and drastically improve the lives of residents. But which of these innovations will be a flash in the pan, and which will show results?
One serious issue that many seniors in assisted living face is the loss of strength and balance from a relatively sedentary life. One company, HUR, has developed computerized SmartCard exercise machines to help combat that loss of strength. Studies have shown that progressive resistance and balance training can significantly reduce the number of falls, and by increasing resistance by quarter-pound increments, the HUR machines make progress more attainable for even the especially frail (in fact, a CDC 2006 study stated that 46% of 80+ year olds cannot lift more than 10 pounds). A chip in the machines also tracks improvement for each resident, and the company’s iBalance system provides data to evaluate fall risk and implement fall management programs. Using HUR equipment, skilled nursing patients have been fulfilling the on average 30-day program’s requirements on day 23. Annecdotally, PinPoint Senior Living has rolled out this equipment in a couple of their brand new communities, and preliminary results show that falls declined significantly.
Intel-GE Care Innovations rolled out its QuietCare® technology, a motion sensor system that learns the daily living patterns of residents and sends alerts when anything out-of-the-ordinary occurs. A year-long study showed that average falls per week fell from 1.33 without the QuietCare system to 0.48 with it, a 63.9% decline. Hospitalizations also dropped from 1.08 per week to 0.92. And as this technology becomes more inconspicuous, accurate and affordable, best practices should become clear to the whole industry.
Falls are one of the biggest issues facing the frail elderly, and effective ways to measure and improve balance and strength will be hugely important in the coming years.
