Improvements In Social Security Highlighted
in West Sacramento Ceremony
Last-Minute Santa Gig Leads to Rewarding Tradition
Moving to Nursing Home Tops Seniors’ List of Fears
Reverse Mortgages Tied to Financial Abuse of Seniors
Cordova Food Locker Provides 520 Bags of Food
Study Sheds New Light on the Sexual Lives of Seniors
Stan's
Sacramento:
Just One More Thing Before I Go …
Senior Health: Resolve to Take Small Steps to Get Healthier
Senior Beat: Look North for a Good Solution to Rail Yard Improvement
Dutch Treat: Tinkertoys Top the Christmas List, Year After Year
Reflections on Aging: The High Price We Pay For Happy, Healthy Pets
Ted Ruhig: This Gilded Age of Economic Policies
Day Trips: Interest in ‘The Misfits’ Cast Inspires Novel
Klockwork: Is Gun Control Really an Implausible Dream?
Along The Boomer Trail: Nation’s Leaders Should Make Some New Year’s Resolutions
Senior Moments: Leaving Legacy of Love Through Journals, Scrapbooks
New Technology Helps Seniors Avoid Injurious Falls
By
Michael A. Piekarz
Spectrum Staff
Falls
are a leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of
nonfatal injuries for those over 65, prompting a search for high-tech
solutions to a bone-crunching dilemma.
More than one-third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States,
according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Twenty to 30 percent of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such
as bruises, hip fractures or head traumas. These injuries can limit independent
living and/or increase the risk of early death.
The CDC recommends that seniors take the initial step to reduce the likelihood
they will fall and become injured. Regular exercise to improve balance, increased
monitoring of medications, regular eye examinations and home-hazard reduction
will all help seniors reduce their chances of suffering the effects of an injurious
fall.
Other federal agencies are funding research efforts to provide a high-tech solution
to reduce the number of senior falls. The National Institute on Aging (NIA),
part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a research grant
to help reduce senior falls.
The research aims to establish the feasibility of a monitor worn on the wrist
that can detect falls and continuously monitor an individual for instability
during his or her regular activities of daily living.
The research team is lead by Dr. Thurmon Lockhart of Virginia Tech University’s
Locomotion Research Laboratory. Previously, Dr. Lockhart developed a hip pad
that can reduce impact injuries from falls. Based on air bag technology, a sensor
device triggers deployment of the “HIP-bag” when the wearer takes
a fall.
Lockhart is excited about the latest fall-reduction research.
“This system will give healthcare providers early detection of the gait
instabilities that precede falls in order to enable intervention before serious
injuries occur. The proposed research plan includes delivery of a working prototype
incorporating the research findings and laboratory validation of the ambulatory
gait and posture monitoring system,” he explained.
The ongoing effort to reduce senior falls also includes private companies. AFrame
Digital, Inc. is working Dr. Lockhart to find a solution to this detrimental
problem.
“A fall is often a precursor to an end-of-life event,” said Sunil
Saxena, MD, FACEP, AFrame’s chairman and chief medical officer. “I
regularly see the devastating effects a fall can have on an individual in my
medical practice.”
Unlike previous motion research that relied on the use of sensors located on
the trunk and lower extremities of the body, current research will focus on the
feasibility of new sensors on the wrist since this location is more acceptable
and available to most individuals. As part of this new NIA/NIH research program,
the wearable monitor will be enhanced with additional sensors and monitoring
algorithms.
The ultimate goal of the current research is to be able to continuously and non-intrusively
monitor individuals to prevent falls and the medical complications that inevitably
follow.
“I am excited to see the support provided to us by the NIH National Institute
on Aging for this important project,” reported Cindy Crump, AFrame president
and CEO.
Lockhart and other researchers believe in a multifaceted approach to fall prevention. “Another
important factor is understanding the intrinsic changes to gait and balance brought
about by aging,” he explained.
In addition to the changes in motion, researchers study sensory factors such
as vision, inner ear and touch sensitivity in the elderly. Tests also include
strength measurements taken while subjects are recovering from slips. Understanding
the mechanics of recovery could help researchers learn how to prevent slips from
becoming falls.
While seniors can certainly take steps on their own to lessen the chances of
falling and becoming injured, research from the government, private industry
and institutions of higher learning continue to develop new methods to combat
the problem.
This page and its contents ©2008
Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
