Falling is a significant problem in older adults. Half of the residents of nursing and care homes do fall at least once a year. Such a fall can have substantial consequences such as broken limbs, examinations and hospital admissions. First, this has a large impact on the person, but it also takes much extra care and, therefore, time from the professionals. The care organizations tanteLouise and Groenhuysen are carrying out a project with Kinetic Analysis in which an innovative measuring method is used to reduce the number of falls. The project also challenges the team that a system is developed that allows upscaling at other organizations. This project is part of the CrossCare project, made possible partly by Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland.
tanteLouise and Groenhuysen experience that falls in the elderly often have severe physical and social consequences. “As a healthcare institution, we are facing a huge challenge due to the increasing number of frail older people and the growing need for professionals. Deployment of technological applications can contribute to reducing the number of falls, ”says Jente Krijnen, project leader at tanteLouise. For the latter, both healthcare institutions selected Kinetic Analysis from nine companies with a possible solution. Kinetic Analysis specializes in projects with data on human movement.
Innovative measuring method
Kinetic Analysis has developed an innovative measuring method, iBalance, in which cameras are used to determine the balance of the elderly. The fall risk per client can be determined by linking this information to existing information, such as fall history, medication use and blood values. In addition, based on this information, tailor-made advice is also given about the measures that can be taken. “We want to investigate together with tanteLouise and Groenhuysen to what extent our solution can contribute to preventing falls. We use existing data from the Electronic Health Records, supplemented with data from our measuring equipment, ”explains Maarten Gijssel of Kinetic Analysis. “Based on the results, specific treatment and support advice is drawn up for the client. That advice may consist of a fall prevention program or, if necessary, an aid such as a rollator, stick, WOLK or BalanceBelt.”
Tested
The method is being tested for the first time in the psychogeriatric wards of the nursing homes of tanteLouise and Groenhuysen. The project involves co-creation sessions and live tests to further develop and improve the method with professionals and clients. Not only is the iBalance itself looked at, but also how this solution can be created so that other care organizations can easily use it. "More effective care for the clients as well as cost savings for the organization are created by more effective use of the data around the clients," says Maarten Gijssel. "A time saving of at least half is expected based on previous studies and field research with Groenhuysen."
“We hope that this project will enable us to identify the client's risk of falling more broadly and more quickly,” added Judith van Wijngaarden and Wendy Hendrickx van Groenhuysen. "The primary goal is to reduce the number of falls in the future."
Crosscare
The research into personalized fall prevention among elderly people living in hospitals is financially supported by the international CrossCare project that stimulates, supports and accelerates innovations in healthcare in the Netherlands and Flanders.
Project date: 2019 - 2020
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