Keeping your loved ones safe physically can be challenging, but a new European device named Vigi’Fall aims to make it easier for caregivers and patients alike.
One of the unpleasant physical impacts of Alzheimer’s or dementia is injury caused by falls.
“Far too often we see elderly patients arrive at the emergency department after lying on the floor for hours unable to call for help. The physical and psychological deterioration that ensues is often irreparable,” explains Jean-Eric Lundy, founder of Vigilio S.A and a doctor at the emergency department of the Cochin Hospital in Paris, in a statement.
Far too often we see elderly patients arrive at the emergency department after lying on the floor for hours unable to call for help.
“The ability to intervene quickly and provide the medical assistance required can ensure that a fall does not have a permanent impact on the person’s quality of life.”
Here’s how the Vigi’Fall works: The technology functions on a sensor system. Users wear a biosensor, while other sensors are wirelessly attached to walls in their homes.
If the user of the Vigi’Fall suffers a fall, both the biosensor and wall sensors will detect it. The biosensor emits a fall signal, while the latter notices the absence of movement.
From there everything is automatically connected to a telephone system and a call centre is notified. An operator will first try to contact the user by phone; when the call goes unanswered, family or emergency teams are immediately dispatched.
“We have been involved in trials of the Vigi’Fall solution from the outset and have seen it constantly evolve in terms of performance to a point where false positive and false negative alerts are rare,” says Pr. Anne-Sophie Rigaud, head of the gerontology service at Broca Hospital in Paris.
The patch, once in place on the skin, can be worn in the shower too and is charged by high-powered batteries.
For more information read the full press release here
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