Boy, did I have an experience today that I must tell you about! I was at Dunedin High School with my nephew and the principal, and we were walking over to Memorial Stadium. We came across a portion of concrete that sloped down. I walked down it, then started to walk back up, but something caught me and I took a very hard fall—and I mean a very hard fall.
Please understand that I am 74 years old, and it is against the rules for me to fall! I’m going to be “on the lam” for several days. My knee was injured pretty badly, though I had X-rays taken. My wrist was also hurt really badly, and again, I had X-rays. They came back clean, but I lost a lot of blood from my knee. My wrist hurts so badly that I’m having difficulty typing, so I am typing this one-handed. Isn’t that fun?
So I came home and started to write this newsletter for Wednesday. How’s that? I can put technology into just about any darn thing!
12 Technology Solutions for Fall Prevention
- Wearable Fall Detection Devices Smartwatches, pendants—like the Apple Watch, Fitbit, or medical alert systems—can detect sudden falls and automatically call for help. Had I been alone where I was and taken that fall, I would have been up the creek. I’m just telling you, it would not have been good.
- Smart Home Lighting Motion-activated lights in hallways, bathrooms, and stairways reduce the risk of tripping when moving around at night.
- Voice-Activated Assistants Alexa or Google Home lets you control lights, thermostats, and all kinds of other things—and even call for help if you fall down. You remember the commercial: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Well, we have technology that helps with that right now. My Alexa, if I fall in the house, will actually dial 911 for me.
- Medication Reminder Apps Forgetting medications like those for blood pressure and balance issues can increase fall risk. Apps provide reminders to help you track these important medications.
- Balance and Exercise Apps Programs like Silver Sneakers and YouTube exercise videos focused on balance are available for free and are something worth working with.
- Smart Shoe Insoles I did not know this, but there are smart shoe insoles that track your gait and alert the user if walking patterns suggest balance issues. That’s pretty impressive!
- Fall Prevention Sensors Bed and chair sensors can detect when someone’s trying to get up at night and trigger lights or alerts to help prevent accidents.
- Virtual Reality Balance Training I need this! Some rehabilitation programs use VR to safely practice balance exercises.
- Home Monitoring Cameras Non-intrusive cameras alert family members or allow them to check in on potentially hazardous situations. That’s a good idea.
- Smartphone Emergency Features Your smartphone has emergency SOS features—on iPhones or Androids—that will call 911 with the press of a button.
- Smart Flooring Systems Pressure-sensitive floors can detect falls and alert caregivers or emergency services.
- Telehealth Monitoring Remote health monitoring systems can track vital signs and detect changes that might indicate increased fall risk.
Final Thoughts
These are some things we can do using technology to make sure that we don’t fall. I’m a big advocate now—especially now—for not falling. As a matter of fact, I forbid you, if you’re reading this newsletter, to fall. It’s not good. And whatever you do, don’t fall on hard concrete. It really hurts!
Written while nursing a sore wrist and wounded pride—but with a renewed appreciation for fall prevention technology!