Monitoring physical frailty in older adult’s homes with a new walking speed sensor; from prototype to proven concept

“这个项目可能为管理老年人身体虚弱问题开辟了一种全新的方式。在老龄化社会中，越来越多的长者独自住在自己的家中或庇护屋。大多数人过着健康而积极的生活，但相当多的人将变得身体虚弱。10%的老年人身体虚弱，另有40%的人身体虚弱，有变得虚弱的严重风险。身体虚弱与高跌倒风险相关，是负面健康结果的预测指标。不幸的是，脆弱似乎是一个长期存在的问题，而且很难扭转其负面影响。有证据表明，脆弱前期是可以逆转的。许多临床专家认为，在其发展的早期阶段监测虚弱是一种潜在的强有力的管理方法。科学文献证明了某些虚弱指标作为疾病及其负面后果的预测因素的重要性。其中一个主要指标是日常生活中的步行速度。当人们开始比平时走得慢时，这就表明他们有变得虚弱的风险。GSPK设计公司（GSPK）是一家产品设计公司，与谢菲尔德大学的辅助技术和互联医疗中心（CATCH）合作，开发了一种可放置在家中的步行速度传感器原型。每次人经过传感器时，它都会测量步行速度。在CATCH实验室测试中，它精确且可重复地（在短时间内）测量步行速度。我们将在现实生活中对20位独居的老年人进行测试，并研究传感器在较长一段时间内的表现。然后我们将改进算法并提高传感器的鲁棒性。我们将探索传感器产生的数据是否对改善使用它的人的护理和支持具有附加价值。Johnnie Johnson Housing （JJH）是一家专门为老年人提供住房和支持的住房组织，对如何改善对其居民的服务感兴趣。这个传感器有潜力做到这一点。JJH相信，它与其国家监测中心Astraline的协同效应，将为该项目增加真正的价值和洞察力，从而提供真正做市的东西。该项目将产生一种经过验证的步行速度传感器，可以进一步开发成一种市场就绪的产品，供JJH等组织和其他住房、健康和社会护理组织使用。”

"This project potentially opens up a completely new way of managing the problem of physical frailty in older people.In our ageing society, more older people live independently in their own homes or sheltered housing. Most live healthy and active lives, but a substantial number will become physically frail. 10% of older adults are frail and another 40% pre-frail, having a serious risk of becoming frail.Physical frailty is associated with a high fall risk and is a predictor of negative health outcomes. Unfortunately, frailty appears to be a persistent problem and it is very hard to reverse the negative effects.There is evidence that pre-frailty can be reversed. Many clinical experts think that monitoring frailty in early stages of its development is a potentially powerful approach to managing it. Scientific literature demonstrates the importance of certain indicators of frailty as predictors of the condition and its negative consequences.One of the principal indicators is walking speed in everyday life. When people start walking more slowly than usual this gives an indicator of the risk of developing frailty.GSPK Design (GSPK), a product design company, has, with the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare (CATCH) at the University of Sheffield, developed a prototype walking speed sensor that can be placed in someone's home. It measures walking speed every time the person passes the sensor.In CATCH laboratory tests, it has accurately and reproducibly (over a short time) measured walking speed. We will test the sensor in real-life with 20 older persons living independently in a sheltered housing scheme and study how the sensor behaves over a longer period. We will then refine the algorithms and improve the robustness of the sensor. We will explore whether the data produced by the sensor have an added value for improving care and support for the people using it.Johnnie Johnson Housing (JJH), a housing organisation specialised in housing and support for older people, is interested in ways to improve the services to their residents. This sensor has the potential to do this. JJH believe its synergy with Astraline, its national monitoring centre, will add real value and insight to the project to deliver something truly market making.The project should result in a validated walking speed sensor that can be further developed into a market-ready product to be used by organisations like JJH and other organisations in housing, health and social care."