Numerous studies have shown that older adults who stay active can stave off physical and cognitive decline.
But unlike their younger peers, for older gym-goers, a bad turn on the treadmill could become a health emergency, notes Shawn Clark, chief technology officer at Blakeford Senior Life communities.
At Blakeford’s Green Hills campus in Nashville, TN, a “smart” fitness center includes equipment and software designed to create a comprehensive, personalized regimen for residents that lets them be more independent but also stay safe.
As part of its fitness program, Blakeford also is deploying VirtuSense’ monitoring equipment, which monitors residents’ gait and physical coordination.
Data collected both within and outside the gym on residents — Blakeford uses VirtuSense’ AI-enabled diagnostics — creates a baseline from which an optimal workout regimen can be generated, Clark explained, noting that Blakeford’s oldest gym user is 97 years old.
“Our machines have a fast kill switch, but we also create user profiles and set parameters,” Clark told the McKnight’s Tech Daily on Tuesday. “If their heart rate, or oxygen levels, go above or below certain levels, that triggers a response.”
Although that personalization prevents users from making what is deemed unsafe adjustments to the machines, it also removes the need from having someone watch over them, creating a feeling of independence residents didn’t have before, Clark said.
It also frees up caregivers to be elsewhere in the community; in the past, using the gym required almost a one-to-one ratio of residents to caregivers, and that is now closer to three-to-one, Clark said.
The incorporation of tech tools such as electronic key fobs and fitness wearables also is catering to a new cohort of older adults who have become more technologically proficient since the pandemic, Clark said.
“When I first came to Blakeford 15 years ago, there were five residents with computers,” Clark said. “Now, it’s not uncommon for seniors to move in with five devices.”
Blakeford, like many senior living communities, has embraced an overall ethic of adopting new technologies.
The community created a closed social media platform within the past year, Clark said, and will be adding new emergency response tools throughout the campus in November.
