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

“这项计划为长者身体衰弱的问题提供一个全新的解决方法。在我们这个老化的社会，越来越多的长者在自己的家中或庇护房屋独立生活。”大多数人过着健康和积极的生活，但也有相当多的人会变得身体虚弱。10%的老年人身体虚弱，另外40%的老年人处于虚弱前期，有严重的虚弱风险。身体虚弱与高跌倒风险相关，是负面健康结果的预测因素。不幸的是，虚弱似乎是一个持续存在的问题，而且很难逆转其负面影响。有证据表明，前虚弱是可以逆转的。许多临床专家认为，在虚弱发展的早期阶段对其进行监测是一种潜在的强大管理方法。科学文献表明，虚弱的某些指标作为病情及其负面后果的预测指标的重要性。其中一个主要指标是日常生活中的步行速度。当人们开始走得比平时慢时，这就表明了人们有可能出现虚弱的风险。产品设计公司GSPK Design（GSPK）与谢菲尔德大学的辅助技术和互联医疗中心（CATCH）合作，开发了一种可以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，它准确且可重复地（在短时间内）测量步行速度。我们将在现实生活中与20名独立生活在庇护住房计划中的老年人一起测试传感器，并研究传感器在较长时间内的行为。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对使用它的人的护理和支持有附加价值。约翰尼约翰逊住房（JJH），一个专门从事老年人住房和支持的住房组织，对如何改善对居民的服务感兴趣。这种传感器有潜力做到这一点。JJH相信，它与其国家监测中心Astraline的协同作用将为该项目增加真实的价值和洞察力，从而提供真正的市场创造。该项目将产生一个经过验证的步行速度传感器，可以进一步开发成一个市场就绪的产品，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."