Predictive Fall Analytics

A fall can bring many sources of excruciating pain – physical, emotional, and financial. Each year in excess of $50 billion is sapped from the US economy to pay for fall related litigation and medical procedures, contributing to the high cost of assisted living and nursing home care. Within assisted living facilities, the out of court settlement for a single fall can exceed $140,000, which adversely affects the ALF’s bottom line and the services it can provide to its residents.

Falls can result from external factors; such as poor lighting, impediments, loose rugs and slippery floors. But they can also be the result of internal factors such as spatial disorientation and becoming lost in a familiar place due to a nascent medical problem or a recent medication change.

PFA or Predictive Fall Analytics is a patented longitudinal analysis of patient directional movements using ultra wideband real-time location services. Resident directional movements and deviations from their baseline are recorded and analyzed. Patients having the greatest risk of falling are escalated and identified. PFA helps mitigate the $31 billion spent on Fall Injuries by Medicare.

FAQ

How does PFA work?
PFA uses a form of safe indoor radar widely used in the automotive and aircraft industry to precisely measure normal walking as older adults walk through living rooms and other shared areas. PFA does not detect falls, but works to prevent them by revealing the magnitude of irregular walking and whether it is increasing over time. Knowing that irregular walking is happening, its magnitude, and whether it is getting worse, means an ALF director can single out the one person out of hundreds for additional care.

Can PFA see what I’m doing?
No, PFA does not use cameras, and we do not monitor bedrooms or private areas, so there are no privacy concerns. Personal activities, with the exception of walking in public areas where there are sensors, cannot be monitored; PFA only maps the shape of the path an individual characteristically walks. PFA’s radio emissions are weaker than a cellphone, and are so weak that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) classifies them as merely noise. Thus they do not interfere with medical devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators, etc.

How rugged and accurate are the wearable devices?
The wearable devices are waterproof and can endure almost any environment within your facility. They are accurate within 6 inches and highly reliable.

How long does the battery last?
Batteries have a lifespan over one year

Do I have to cover my entire facility?
No, PFA must only be installed in areas that receive highest levels of traffic. For example, hallways, outside dining areas, recreational areas, etc.

Is PFA scalable or how many residents can I have on a system?
Yes, PFA is very scalable and all residents per building, facility or campus can participate.

Does PFA capture other private information?
No, PFA tags and sensors do not gather conversations or other activities. PFA data capture is limited to public spaces within the array of wall mounted sensors.

Does PFA detect falls?
No, PFA is a scientific approach that analyzes stability, path, and purpose in real time with prioritized individualism. Individuals are ranked against a baseline not against each other.