Wolk's new hip airbag automatically sounds an alarm if an elderly person falls. The first contact linked to the Wolk app automatically receives an alarm in this case, notifying both time and location of the fall.
Every year, over 24,000 seniors in the Netherlands break their hip. They are not always able to call for help quickly; their hip fracture sometimes prevents them from raising the alarm. In addition, half of seniors who break their hip cannot return home.
Safer independent home for longer
The hip airbag from the company Wolk aims to enable elderly people to live safely at home independently for longer. The airbag is called Wolk+ and was developed in collaboration with TU Delft's Robotics Department.
Mendes Hogestyn, Wolk co-founder: "We started talking to elderly people and their loved ones to really understand their concerns. This revealed that, besides the fear of a hip fracture, the worry 'what if my mum falls, is unable to get up and can't raise an alarm?' is very high. With this insight, we started working on a hip airbag with an automatic alarm function."
With the new feature of the Wolk+, the company wants to give those around seniors peace of mind and confidence. Thanks to the airbag, they have peace of mind that they will be alerted immediately in case of a fall. Wearers can also raise the alarm manually via the app.
More security
However, in addition to a need for an alarm function, freedom of movement is also an important concern, Wolk's survey shows. For instance, half of all elderly people living independently are sometimes unsteady on their feet. Not only does this uncertainty limit them in their daily activities, it also contributes to a greater risk of falling. With the hip airbag, Wolk wants to give the elderly the confidence to 'live more independently and freely'.
The hip airbag features a fall detection system developed by TU Delft engineer. This system uses sensors and measures the user's movements 500 times per second. These measurements are analysed using an algorithm capable of distinguishing a fall from other movements. If a fall is detected, an airbag is automatically inflated around the hip to cushion the fall. The Cloud+ and its built-in fall detection system are also suitable for use on bicycles and e-bikes.
Reusable
The Wolk is reusable. It is fitted with a cartridge that inflates the airbag. After a fall, this cartridge needs to be replaced. Once the airbag is fitted with a new cartridge, it offers full protection again.
tanteLouise has been using Wolk hip airbags since April 2018. About 50 of them are deployed to protect the elderly care organisation's most vulnerable clients. None of the clients who wore the hipairbag suffered a fracture. "We are very happy with the result. The number of hip, pelvic, and leg fractures decreased by 46% in one year compared to the year before Cloud was deployed. That really is a striking difference," explains Jan-Kees van Wijnen, Director of Care at tanteLouise Foundation.
'Promising'
Prof Gerard Jan Blauw,professor of internal (elderly) medicine at Leiden University, calls the results promising. "Of the first 100 elderly people who fell on their hip with this airbag, no one broke a hip. Moreover, users wear the Cloud faithfully, which is a huge improvement over traditional hip protection."
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
