Technology is constantly on the rise, and with that comes more options for seniors to monitor their overall wellbeing. As a continuation from the Apple Watch Series 4, the Series 5 Watch has incorporated fall detection into its product. To discover more about how it works, we’ll start with the technology.
How Does Fall Detection Work?
Traditionally, when someone wearing a PERS device takes a spill, an alert will be sent to a central monitoring station, like AvantGuard, where an operator will call the consumer to check if the alarm was valid. From there, the consumer can speak directly with the operator to let them know whether they need emergency services or not. This can be helpful because it removes the need to know technology on smartphones or smartwatches, and direct communication is handled through a person-to-person phone call.
Apple Watch Series 5 uses the same two sensors (accelerometer and gyroscope) in its watch that are also found in medical alert pendants. Accelerometer measures the change of velocity divided by time. An example of this is when someone rotates their cell phone from portrait to landscape, and the screen automatically moves with it. The second sensor, gyroscope, uses Earth’s gravity to help determine orientation. Together both sensors are able to detect falls from users.
How the Apple Watch Series 5 Functions
While fall detection has been around for awhile, Apple claims it has created unique algorithms that better sense when a fall has taken place. When the Apple Watch detects a fall, it taps the user on the wrist in addition to sounding an alarm. From here, users can press “I’m OK” or contact emergency services. If a user is immobile for 60 seconds the watch will begin a thirty-second countdown. If no action is taken, a call to emergency services will be placed, as well as the user’s location sent to any emergency contacts that are set up in their account.
Why is Fall Monitoring Important?
According to the CDC, over 800,000 seniors are hospitalized due to an injury from a fall, which is also the leading cause of death among adults 65 and older. With the continuous improvement in fall monitoring technology, people can receive treatment faster, which in turn can help prevent any further accident or death from fall injuries.
In addition to being a central monitoring service, AvantGuard can also integrate video verification to help reduce false alarms. The operators are there to assist in various situations, whether there’s a fire outbreak, or a fall down the stairs, you can count on AvantGuard to get you the right kind of help. Reach out to learn more about our monitoring services, so you can have peace of mind in case you or a loved one experiences an emergency.
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