An IoT-Based System for Preventing Falls in Elderly People in Home Care

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.159382331012

• Palavras-chave: home care; elderly; internet of things

• Keywords: home care; elderly; internet of things

• Abstract:

  Falls in the elderly at home are a highly prevalent public health problem, associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, decreased mobility and functionality, limitations in activities of daily living, increased susceptibility to diseases, hospitalization, institutionalization and use of social and health services, entailing high costs for the public and private sectors. The technologies and strategies present in the market are effective in detecting falls, but do not contribute to their prevention. The techniques currently used, such as restricting the patient to bed, are generally not well accepted by their families and caregivers. Therefore, there was an opportunity to develop a system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) that acts in the prevention of falls in a non-invasive way. The present work aims to demonstrate the development process, the preliminary results obtained from the proof of concept of the system, the subsequent phases of development, as well as the differentials and potential benefits in relation to other technologies.