Automatic fall detection: Complementary devices for a better fall monitoring coverage

Falling, and the fear of falling, are physical and psychological phenomenons that affect the quality of life and the autonomy of older people. One solution to address this problem is the use of automatic fall detectors able to immediately trigger emergency responses. Mobile Telecare devices cover outdoor and indoor activities. However it is recognized that such devices are not suitable nor used while taking a shower. Therefore in this paper we present two complementary automatic fall detectors: a mobile Telecare device and a sensorized ShowerRug proof of concept to provide an optimal fall monitoring coverage. Both systems were evaluated separately. The waist-worn device presented 97.6% sensitivity (454 events) and 93.3% specificity (1077 events) while the ShowerRug obtained a sensitivity of 76.5% (50 events) and specificity of 88.7% (54 events).