FATE, peace of mind and safety for the elderly liable to fall

“Falling”. This is the main fear that Conti Ennio, 85, from Italy and Michael Materson, Irish, 72, had before they decided to form part of the FATE project pilot trial. But this fear went further; the fact of falling at home or in the street and not being able to call for help caused them real anxiety. BY resolving this situation, they were able to give their grain of sand and contribute to the trial.

 
Photographs: Conti Enno and Michael Materson.

The reason, “the FATE enables correct and fast detection of people falling,” explains Joan Cabestany, the assistant director of the CETpD research centre of Catalonia Polytechnic University, the entity behind the project. The problem that worried Ennio and Materson will be resolved if this system comes onto the market.

But how is it possible to introduce technology to an audience of elderly people? Not knowing how to use the system was a question that worried participants, and in fact, according to some professionals working on the trials (Maria Francesca Spaziani, from COOS MARCHE Onlus, Mary-Rose Mulry of the National University of Ireland of Galway), the initial learning of the apparatus was indeed a challenge for the majority. They both say that doubts arose on the operation that they had to clarify on several occasions both to the elderly and to their families or carers.

 
Photographs: Maria Francesca Spaziani and Mary-Rose Mulry.

However, doing the test was generally satisfactory. Ennio and Materson say without a doubt that the FATE gives peace of mind and safety both to them and to their families and is responsible for a great improvement in their quality of life. “With the FATE I walk 3 km a day alone and I hadn’t dared do so for more than a year”, Mr Materson explains. “I know that if anything happens to me at night I am not alone”, Mr Ennio adds.

For the professionals, the experience was equally good and they view it positively. Maria Francesca Spaziani says that it was useful in understanding the daily lives of the elderly and to detect their needs. Furthermore, according to Cabestany, the pilot trial allowed the system to be evolved much faster.

In fact, in putting it on the market, the users agreed that the FATE should be improved in some respects. Firstly, they would change the belt-fixed carrying system for another more comfortable method. Having to carry two devices (sensor and mobile phone) was also considered awkward and it was recommended to bring them together into one device. Finally, everyone preferred not to have to have the system installed at home with several modems, but rather to have wireless connections. Recommendations also came forth on the size of the system, the process of charging it or the system for deactivating it in the event of a false alarm. Cabestany said that some of the proposed modifications are already under way. The sensor “has been redesigned to make it smaller, with a longer life and to work in connection with the user’s own mobile phone”.

Photograph: Joan Cabestany.

With these and the remaining changes applied, users were sure they would use the product as soon as it came to market.

“This is a good way to promote independence among the elderly and to make sure they are safe in their homes”, thinks Mary-Rose Mulry. Both she and the other professionals believe that the FATE is a potential technological revolution if the right changes are made and if what is considered the principal barrier on the project, the funding is overcome.

Joan Cabestany highlights the role of Fundació TicSalut in the development of the Project and says that as an entity it facilitated the work between the different agents involved in the case of Catalonia and contributed to promoting the FATE in different areas of interest.