How £1.3m “game-changing” health innovation is helping improve falls prevention in elderly
With one in two over 80s expected to have a fall this year coupled with an increasingly ageing population, a shift from reactive to proactive and preventative care is needed now more than ever, according to a report by personal alarm provider TakingCare.
A consortium of businesses, which includes TakingCare, has won £1.3m of funding for a “game-changing” health innovation project dedicated to preventing falls among the older population
Move More Live More is an innovative new falls prevention programme which is using health education, digital technology and Artificial Intelligence to revolutionise the use of wearable technology enabled care.
With one in three over 65s expected to have at least one fall a year, a shift is needed in the way our healthcare system responds. This new programme provides a solution that could detect a fall up to 32 days before a fall even occurs.
Through wearable technology, healthcare software platform developer, Technicare has developed an intelligent algorithm which uses insights from a Fitbit, worn by the user, to detect a benchmark for “normal patterns” of activity, based on daily steps and movement as well as typical sleep patterns.
Through ongoing monitoring, AI technology identifies changes or anomalies in a wearer’s behaviour or activity level that could indicate they may be at an increased risk of a fall. The algorithm also identifies the potential triggers that could mean a fall is imminent.
TakingCare responds to this intelligence work by providing a personalised response service, with the company’s dedicated prevention team monitoring user data to detect instances where direct personal interaction with wearers may be required. This could be in the form of wellbeing check-ins, gentle reminders and, where required, escalation to emergency services or registered contacts for those who may have experienced a fall.
According to research commissioned by Taking Care from Professor James Brown of Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing, Technology Enabled Care has been found to reduce hospital admissions by 50 per cent and admisssions due specifically to falls by 44 per cent. It has also been shown to reduce admissions to residential care by 5.9 per cent and delay admissions to residential care by 27 months
The results from the Pilot of this programme already paint a successful picture, with intervention improving participants’ quality of life by 11 per cent and a five per cent decrease the fear of falling score.
Steve Gates, Managing Director at TakingCare, said of the company’s involvement: “We’re really proud to be part of the consortium responsible for the Move More Live More programme. With an ageing population, it’s more important than ever to have a proactive response to falls among the elderly, ensuring they are armed with the information they need to live independently, safely, for longer.
“The Pilot programme has already unveiled fantastic results, and it firmly underlines the positive role of technology when coupled with the personal touch from our Resolution Team members.
“We’re really excited to see how this progresses in 2024 and think it paves the way for a renewed approach to Technology Enabled Care.”
Brian Brown, Commercial Director at Technicare, added: “The Move More Live More programme is a great example of the future of elderly care and falls prevention.
“We’re proud to be using our cutting-edge technology and algorithms to provide the insights needed to reach an older person before they experience a fall. This in turn should reduce the need for hospital or care admissions, helping ensure people can remain at home for longer.
“It’s been refreshing to work with the TakingCare team on the intervention element of the programme, exploring how AI and customer experience can work hand in hand to provide a rounded solution for older people.”
Last year, TakingCare launched the UK’s first personal alarm to use two multi-network SIMs to help counteract the impact of the digital phoneline switchover, due to be completed by 2025.
