Scientists behind a new wearable device hope it becomes a “mainstay” in senior living communities and other settings for assisting with balance and health monitoring in the near future.
The device involves shoulder strap “muscles” to improve posture control and would be a less bulky — and more readily available — option, compared with most machines in clinical settings, to help older adults avoid the risk of falling.
“Improving reactive postural control ability is critical for fall prevention,” the researchers state. “The experimental results showed that balance exercises using wearable balance exercise devices immediately improved [users’ balance].”
The “muscles” in the wearable balance device are two hollow tubes that are worn like shoulder straps and extend or contract via air pressure, the researchers explained. The changes create a pulling effect that directs a user sideways and forces them to adjust their balance.
The pneumatic straps can be controlled by either a smartphone or computer program, and the device can collect data on how quickly users return to a correct posture.
More than a quarter of Americans over the age of 65 experience at least one falling incident each year, the National Council on Aging said.
That figure jumps to 50% for older adults living with dementia, with the biggest risk being among those living by themselves, another study finds.
The problem is growing: The number of deaths from falling rose to a 20-year high in 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Even without having a mobility disorder such as Parkinson’s, older adults can lose proper posture and balance due to a variety of reasons, including more generalized muscle and vision decline, the researchers warned.
Many senior living communities and nursing homes are taking steps to improve fall prevention among residents, including with state-of-the-art monitoring systems or smart lighting that helps residents maintain sleep cycles and avoid getting out of bed in the middle of the night.
The balance study, led by a team at the Tokyo University of Science, was published recently in IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine.
