Monitoring physical frailty in older adult’s homes with a new walking speed sensor; from prototype to proven concept

"This project potentially opens up a completely new way of managing the problem of physical frailty in older people.

In our ageing society, more older people live independently in their own homes or sheltered housing. Most live healthy and active lives, but a substantial number will become physically frail. 10% of older adults are frail and another 40% pre-frail, having a serious risk of becoming frail.

Physical frailty is associated with a high fall risk and is a predictor of negative health outcomes. Unfortunately, frailty appears to be a persistent problem and it is very hard to reverse the negative effects.

There is evidence that pre-frailty can be reversed. Many clinical experts think that monitoring frailty in early stages of its development is a potentially powerful approach to managing it. Scientific literature demonstrates the importance of certain indicators of frailty as predictors of the condition and its negative consequences.

One of the principal indicators is walking speed in everyday life. When people start walking more slowly than usual this gives an indicator of the risk of developing frailty.

GSPK Design (GSPK), a product design company, has, with the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare (CATCH) at the University of Sheffield, developed a prototype walking speed sensor that can be placed in someone's home. It measures walking speed every time the person passes the sensor.

In CATCH laboratory tests, it has accurately and reproducibly (over a short time) measured walking speed. We will test the sensor in real-life with 20 older persons living independently in a sheltered housing scheme and study how the sensor behaves over a longer period. We will then refine the algorithms and improve the robustness of the sensor. We will explore whether the data produced by the sensor have an added value for improving care and support for the people using it.

Johnnie Johnson Housing (JJH), a housing organisation specialised in housing and support for older people, is interested in ways to improve the services to their residents. This sensor has the potential to do this. JJH believe its synergy with Astraline, its national monitoring centre, will add real value and insight to the project to deliver something truly market making.

The project should result in a validated walking speed sensor that can be further developed into a market-ready product to be used by organisations like JJH and other organisations in housing, health and social care."