Intelligent Mobile and Web-Based Alerts Application to Help Detect and Prevent Falls in the Long-Term Care Setting

Award Date: 2017

Project Lead(s): Teresa Lee

Project Title: Intelligent Mobile and Web-Based Alerts Application to Help Detect and Prevent Falls in the Long-Term Care Setting

Most off-the-shelf fall detection products require seniors to access mechanical devices (buttons) or wear sensors. While these devices alert caregivers to a fall when the resident is capable of activating them, they do not work when the resident is incapacitated. Furthermore, these devices do not provide evidence as to what caused the fall. Therefore, this project will be testing a commercially available solution that utilizes built-in cameras in smartphones and tablets to capture important health data for a caregiver. The application allows caregivers to view video capture of the events leading up to and including the fall itself. This application will be tested in a long-term care (LTC) setting, in efforts to determine its accuracy and potential to inform clinical practice regarding fall reduction and injury prevention in this population.