AUTOMATIC FALL DETECTION DEVICE

What are the benefits of AUTOMATIC FALL DETECTION?

The benefits of automatic fall detection to those with medical issues or elderly can be immense. Considering that one-third of adults over 65 will fall each year, fall related injuries are not uncommon. Also, if you or your loved one has diabetes, low blood glucose or another condition that increases your risk of falling, this feature might provide you with additional piece of mind. Getting help fast in these situations could be life-saving.

If your loved one sustains an injury or becomes unconscious from a fall and they are alone, their chance of getting help fast is increased significantly by automatic fall detection technology.

According to the WHO, falls Are The Leading Cause Of Injury Deaths Among Older Adults. Older people have the highest risk of death or serious injury arising from a fall and the risk increases with age. For example, in the United States of America, 20–30% of older people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head trauma. This risk level may be in part due to physical, sensory, and cognitive changes associated with ageing, in combination with environments that are not adapted for an aging population.

There are many reasons for elderly individuals to use a automatic fall detection device. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Immediate Assistance: Falls can lead to serious injuries, and prompt medical attention is crucial. An automatic fall detection device can detect a fall and send an alert to emergency services or designated contacts, ensuring help arrives quickly. With our device, you can program the device to connect directly to emergency services if you wish. This rapid response can potentially save lives and minimize the impact of injuries.
2. Independent Living: Many older adults value their independence and wish to age in place. By using a Mercari fall detection device, they can feel more confident and secure in their ability to live alone. It provides them with a safety net, knowing that help will be summoned if they experience a fall, even if they are unable to call for help themselves.
3. Peace of Mind: For both the elderly individual and their loved ones, an automatic fall detection device provides peace of mind. Family members can feel reassured that their elderly loved ones have an extra layer of protection, especially when they are unable to physically be with them all the time. This sense of security can reduce anxiety and worry.
4. Prompt Medical Attention: Falls can lead to various injuries, including fractures, head trauma, and internal bleeding. Detecting a fall promptly ensures that medical attention can be provided as soon as possible, increasing the chances of a successful recovery. Timely treatment can prevent complications and reduce the severity of injuries.
5. Continuous Monitoring: Fall detection devices provides round-the-clock monitoring when turned on and being worn. This constant surveillance increases the chances of immediate intervention, particularly in situations where the person may not be conscious or able to call for help. The battery in the device will last between 48 and 72 hours before needing a recharge. Recharging time is only 3 hours until its full again.
6. User-Friendly and Non-Intrusive: The fall detection devices are designed to be easy to use and non-intrusive. They can be worn as pendants, bracelets, or attached to clothing, allowing anyone to carry on with their daily activities without feeling burdened by additional equipment. This simplicity and convenience encourages regular usage.
7. Prevention of Prolonged Immobility: If an individual is unable to move or call for help, the device can initiate an alert, prompting timely assistance. This reduces the risk of complications such as pressure sores, dehydration, or hypothermia that may occur if an elderly person remains on the floor for an extended period.

Overall, automatic fall detection devices offer a range of benefits for the elderly, including immediate assistance, independence, peace of mind, rapid medical attention, fall prevention, continuous monitoring, user-friendliness, and prevention of prolonged immobility. These advantages contribute to the overall safety, well-being, and quality of life of older adults. 

In basic terms, the device needs three things to happen simultaneously in order for fall detection to activate automatically. An altitude drop, an angle change, like falling forwards, to the side or backwards, then an impact. Depending on your devices sensitivity setting, the device should activate sensing those three parameters. However. Fall detection technology is not faultless and false alarms or no fall detected may occur for a variety of reasons.

Every fall is different with its own unique circumstances or reasons as to why a fall has occurred. As such, its actually very hard for any device to detect with 100% certainty. For example, fall detection may not be activated automatically if someone is walking down stairs and has a slow fall by grabbing a handrail as they slip down stairs. Maybe they brace themselves holding a table as they fall off a chair, or perhaps they are wearing the device inside heavy layers of clothes which prevents the device detecting an impact or soft fall. If the user are conscious and able to, they should be able to press the SOS button for the emergency manual activation.

For those that are wheelchair bound, the fall detection feature may not be reliable as the seated height is not likely to be high enough for consistent detection. The altitude and impact sensors are unlikely to detect enough range of motion to activate, so we would advise not to solely rely on the fall detection feature.

The device does come with an audible alert that helps prevent false alarms. The device will tell the user that fall detection has been activated and gives the user the opportunity to stop the alarms automatic fall activation. Fall detection can be made more or less sensitive to suit the user and has 9 different sensitivity ranges from ‘off’ to ‘very sensitive’. The default sensitivity of number 5 seems to fit best for most people so you may not need to make any changes when you receive your device.

How to be worn for fall detection

Please be aware, the alarm is for serious falls only and does not sense low impact or slow falls. It is used for detecting serious falls where someone can be incapacitated or knocked out. If the user has a low impact or slow fall like slowly sliding down stairs, the device may not trigger, however the user is more likely to still be conscious and able to press the SOS manually.

• For the best sensitivity, It’s recommended to wear the button on the outside of your clothes. Wear it on a lanyard around the neck. The fall detection will do a more improved and accurate job if it’s not padded by clothing and can sense a sudden drop in height.