One of the coolest things about this day and age when it comes to senior care is the huge advances that we’ve seen in technology and how it can help improve lives for the elderly. We’ve seen big advances in how we communicate with one another (like FaceTime and Zoom), how we can keep our homes safe and efficient (Smart Home devices), and how we can keep seniors safer as they move about (sensors in beds, rugs, and even toilets).
But new developments keep coming out all of the time. Some of these are pretty lackluster in what they do or only serve a very specific audience and are not much use for the general population. But some developments are incredibly helpful.
Preventing falls can improve someone’s quality of life considerably.
That’s where a new product designed to help prevent falls comes in. Essentially, these are high tech socks, equipped with sensors to send out an alert when pressure is applied. The socks were tested out at a hospital, where the fall rate was 4 out of every 1,000 times someone got out of bed. With the extra monitoring that the socks brought along, the rate was reduced to 0 out of every 1,000 times. Over the course of 13 months, no one fell with the socks on.
This highlights the importance of supervision in a senior citizen’s life.
It’s estimated that about a million people end up in the hospital each year because of falls. If these high tech socks can help to reduce that number, then they will be considered a successful product as a whole. If they can help prevent injury in just one person, they will be helpful for that one person. When someone suffers from a catastrophic fall, it isn’t uncommon to see a steady decline in mobility and health. Prevention of something like this is always preferable to treating symptoms.
Sometimes, a few small changes around the house can make a world of difference when it comes to safety. Installing handholds in dangerous areas, making sure that loose items are off the floor and put away, and other little things can eliminate some of the threats that loom when it comes to fall hazards. Having someone to help out around the house, like an in-home caregiver, can also be of help. A trained professional can do a lot to help a senior be a little bit safer while they are in their own home.
That’s why we do what we do. In-home care keeps the people we serve in their homes for longer, and it gets an extra set of eyes of seniors when they might otherwise be alone and in a potentially dangerous situation. Moving around the house can create dangers, but extra supervision can reduce this risk.
Please note, this is not an advertisement for this product. Rather, it’s an informational piece to help raise awareness about how technology advances might benefit you and your family. If this is something that you think might be helpful, please speak with a doctor or another knowledgeable professional before you consider purchasing it.
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