Approach to Fall Detection Technologies Developed for the Elderly

Abstract

Introduction. The falls and subsequent injuries to the elderly are a major public health problem in terms of morbidity, mortality and high costs. A wealth of research based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has approached the issue from the point of view of the fall detection. Purpose. The purpose of the review is to search for available fall detection systems based on ICT. Methodology. A systematic literature review was carried out at PubMed, Cochrane Central, Embase databases from 2010 to 2018. The terms "fall detection", "sensor technologies", "smart homes", "ambient sensors" were searched. Results. Most of the fall detection systems have been developed on the same philosophy, namely to limit the serious impact of the elderly long staying on the ground after a fall. The main purpose of these systems is to distinguish between fall events and daily activities. Most algorithms are designed based on data sets containing a mixture of daily life activities and simulated falls. Various solutions are available with most include portable devices, while others include technologies embedded in the home environment Conclusions. The evaluation results of several fall detection technologies have shown that they can improve the autonomy of older people, extending their living in the community safely. keywords : fall detection, sensor technologies, smart homes, ambient sensors