Successful tech project that could detect a fall up to 32 days before it occurs wins £1.3m

A “game-changing” new technology-enabled care programme is helping to prevent falls among the older population, which is particularly prevalent as the NHS says that around one-third of adults over 65 and half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year.

A consortium of businesses has won £1.3 million from Innovate UK of funding for the falls prevention project. TakingCare, a provider of personal alarm solutions, is part of the consortium working towards revolutionising the approach to falls among the elderly.

Move More Live More is the falls prevention programme that is using health education, digital technology, and AI to “revolutionise” the use of wearable technology-enabled care (TEC).

This new programme provides a solution that could detect a fall up to 32 days before a fall occurs.

Through wearable technology, healthcare software platform developer Technicare has developed an intelligent algorithm that 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.

The results from the pilot of this programme already paint a successful picture, with intervention improving participants’ quality of life by 11 percent and a five percent decrease the fear of falling score.

Steve Gates, Managing Director at TakingCare, said: “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.”

According to research commissioned by TakingCare from Professor James Brown of Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing, TEC has been found to reduce hospital admissions by 50 percent, reduce hospital admissions due specifically to falls by 44 percent, reduce admissions to residential care by 5.9 percent, and delay admissions to residential care by 27 months.

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.”

A recent report from TakingCare revealed that personal alarms could help save the NHS over £200 million in ambulance- and falls-related costs. Find out more about this research here.