Mobile Assisted Living: Smartwatch-based Fall Risk Assessment for Elderly People

Abstract

We present a novel Smartwatch-based approach, to enable Mobile Assisted Living (MAL) for users with special needs. A major focus group for this approach are elderly people. We developed a tool for caregivers applicable in home environments, nursing care, and hospitals, to assess the vitality of their patients. Hereby, we particularly focus on the prediction of falls, because falls are a major reason for serious injuries and premature death among elderly. Therefore, we propose a multi parametric score based on standardized fall risk assessment tests, as well as on sleep quality, medication, patient history, motor skills, and environmental factors. The resulting total fall risk score reflects individual changes in behavior and vitality, which consequently enables for fall preventing interventions. Our system has been deployed and evaluated in a pilot study among 30 elderly patients over a period of four weeks.