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Protect Your Loved Ones from Fall Risks 

Assistive Technology: Protect Your Loved Ones from Fall Risks 

Falls can occur in people of any age, but older people are more vulnerable, especially if they have a long term health condition.

Around 1 in 3 adults over 65, and two thirds of them fall again within six months, indicating that the risk of falling increases with age. The number of falls and injuries in this age range will rise as our population ages.  Falls are a common, but often overlooked, cause of injury.

Most falls do not result in serious injury. But there’s always a risk that a fall could lead to broken bones, and it can cause the person to lose confidence, become withdrawn, and feel as if they have lost their independence. Assistive technology can provide support and reassurance to older persons and their families, to reduce their risk of falls, and provide them with immediate assistance if a fall occurs.

 

What Causes A Fall? 

Isaac Care Older people are more likely to have a fall

Older people are more likely to have a fall because they may have: 

  • Poor balance and strength
  • Taking multiple medications that can cause dizziness or drowsiness
  • Vision problems
  • Foot pain or disorders, such as arthritis
  • A long-term health condition, such as heart disease, diabetes or low blood pressure can cause dizziness

Home safety measures are important for reducing the risk of a fall for older adults. Some things that can be done to make a home safer include:

  • Installing grab bars in the bathroom and around the toilet
  • Making sure there are no obstacles on stairs or walkways
  • Placing nonslip mats in the shower and bathtub
  • Ensuring good lighting throughout the home

How To Prevent A Fall 


Falls are the leading cause of accidental death or injury in the elderly, so it is important to take steps to prevent them. Here are some tips on how to help protect yourself and your loved ones from a fall:

1. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can help improve balance, strength, endurance and flexibility.

2. Wear sensible shoes: Wear shoes with good support and a non-slip sole. Avoid going barefoot or wearing slippers as they can be slippery.

3. Install handrails: Consider installing handrails in hallways and staircases to help steady your balance when walking.

4. Remove clutter: Remove any obstacles from pathways that could contribute to a fall. This includes furniture, cords, rugs and toys.

5. Use assistive devices: A cane, walker or other assistive device can help provide extra balance and stability when walking

6. Stay hydrated: Dehydration can cause dizziness, which could lead to a fall. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout

Technology to Help Those at Risk of Falling 

Isaac Fall Alarm 

The Isaac Fall Alarm is a smart, easy to use, personal alarm which offers reassurance that your loved one can instantly access help whenever they need it. Isaac Care offers two packages with their fall alarm, Circle of Care Supported and 24/7 Call Centre Supported

The key benefits of the Isaac Fall Alarm includes:

  • Easy to use: The Fall Alarm’s straightforward design is easy to use for all, especially for those with little to no technological knowledge.
  • Mobile: The fall alarm works both in the home and when out and about.
  • GPS Location: Location of fall alerts is instantly shared with relevant people through the Isaac Care app
  • Two-way communication: In the event of a fall the user can speak to their emergency contacts or our dedicated team directly through the device itself.
  • Isaac Care App: The seamless integration with the Isaac care app allows the entire family to be notified of any fall/event, keeping everyone up to date.
  • No Set Up/Installation Required: The fall alarm is pre-configured so it is ready to use straight out of the box.
  • No landline needed: The alarm has a built-in sim card, meaning there is no need for a landline connection.
  • Battery: Long battery life with voice prompts to alert you to low battery levels

The Isaac fall alarm is connected to our free family caring app, Isaac Care. The app is designed around “circles of care” which are groups of people involved in the persons’ care. Each circle of care is kept up to date with instant in app notifications.

The app sends out an instant notification of any SOS alert to the relevant circle of care, while the alarm itself initiates a phone call to the designated emergency contact.

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Our dedicated team are on hand to assist you in any way. Contact us on (042) 936 8391 or fill in your details in the contact form and one of our team will be in touch.

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7 Ways To Help Prevent Falls

7 Tips To Help Prevent Falls

Falls are a major cause of injury among seniors and can easily be prevented with the right precautions. One way to help protect loved ones from falls is by making sure they have access to assistive devices such as grab bars, raised toilet seats, walkers and wheelchairs or through the use of assistant technology. Here are 6 tips to help protect your loved ones from fall risks:

1. Assistive Technology

Isaac Care assistive technology

Isaac Care is an assistive technology device created to help you with daily tasks that have grown difficult. Isaac is there to support you to stay safe and independent in your own home for as long as possible. 

The Isaac Fall Alarm has an accelerometer that can automatically detect the sudden impact of a fall. In this case a call will be initiated to the designated emergency contacts and the same process as above will be followed. When any fall/SOS event happens, each of the nominated contacts are instantly notified through the Isaac Care app

2. Seek Assistance

Isaac Care loved ones

If your elderly loved one is worried about falling, ask them. Even though they may be aware that falling is a concern, many older adults nonetheless hold onto the notion that they won’t fall or get wounded. Encourage them to speak with their health care practitioner if they have any concerns about falling, light-headedness, or balance so that they can be evaluated for risk and given programs or services that may be of assistance.

3. Discuss Current Health Condition

Isaac care support and app

Find out if your elderly loved one is having any difficulties taking care of their own health. Are they having problems remembering to take their medication? Are the activities they used to do effortlessly becoming more difficult for them to complete? Encourage them to discuss all of their worries with their healthcare physician in an open and honest manner. 

Isaac Care vitals monitoring feature closely monitors the persons health. This data can be used to help assess a patient’s overall health and well-being and can also be helpful in detecting early signs of illness or disease. 

4. Get Their Vision Checked

Isaac Care health

Make sure your elderly loved one has a current prescription and is using their glasses according to the eye doctor’s instructions if they wear glasses. It’s necessary to exercise caution when using bifocals on stairs. Consult a professional for advice on how to maximize your vision if you already have low vision or attend your local optician for an up to date eye test.

5. Physical Therapy

Isaac Care professional

Notice if they’re holding onto walls, furniture, or someone else when walking or if they appear to have difficulty walking or arising from a chair. 

These are all signs that it might be time to see a physical therapist. A trained physical therapist can help your older loved one improve their balance, strength, and gait through exercise. They might also suggest a cane or walker—and provide guidance on how to use these aids. Make sure to follow their advice. Poorly fit aids can increase the risk of falls. 

6. Safety Assessment Of Their Home

Isaac Care Safe home professional assistance

There are many simple and inexpensive ways to make a home safer. For professional assistance, consult an Occupational Therapist. Here are some examples: 

Lighting: Brighten up the entire home, especially the stairwells’ top and bottom landings. When getting up in the middle of the night, ensure that lighting is readily available. 

Stairs: Ensure that every set of stairs has two secure rails. 

Bathrooms: Add grab bars to the shower/tub and the area around the toilet. Ensure that they are placed where your elderly loved one may utilize them. Consider building a walk-in bathtub or employing a shower chair and hand-held shower for even greater safety. 

 

7. Talk About Their Medication

Isaac Care doctor and pharmacist medications review

If your older loved one is having a hard time keeping track of medicines or is experiencing side effects, encourage them to discuss their concerns with their doctor and pharmacist. Suggest that they have their medications reviewed each time they get a new prescription.

Also, beware of non-prescription medications that contain sleep aids—including painkillers. These can lead to balance issues and dizziness. If your older loved one is having sleeping problems, encourage them to talk to their doctor or pharmacist about safer alternatives.

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Our dedicated team are on hand to assist you in any way. Contact us on (042) 936 8391 or fill in your details in the contact form and one of our team will be in touch.

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What Is Vitals Monitoring?

Vitals Monitoring

What Is A Vitals Monitoring?

Vitals monitoring is the process of tracking and recording a patient’s vital signs, which include heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, and body temperature. This data can be used to help assess a patient’s overall health and well-being, and can also be helpful in detecting early signs of illness or disease.

There are a variety of ways to monitor vitals, such as taking a pulse and using a wearable device. Patient monitoring is typically performed by healthcare professionals, but there are also some devices and apps that allow patients to track their own vitals at home.

Why is Vitals Monitoring Important?

Patient monitoring is an important part of healthcare because it can provide valuable information about a patient’s health. For example, if a patient’s blood pressure is consistently high, this could be an early sign of hypertension (high blood pressure). If a patient’s respiration rate is consistently low, this could be an early sign of respiratory distress.

Patient monitoring can also help to identify trends in a patient’s health over time and in some cases, vitals monitoring can even help to predict future health problems.. For instance, if a patient’s heart rate tends to spike after meals, this could be indicative of an underlying heart condition.

While patient monitoring is primarily used as a tool for diagnosing and treating illness, it can also be used for preventive purposes. For instance, if a patient’s vitals are monitored closely, healthcare professionals may be able to identify lifestyle changes that could help improve the patient’s overall health.

What are the Different Types of Vitals?

There are four main types of vitals: heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, and body temperature.

  • Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. It can be measured manually by taking your pulse or with a wearable device.
  • Blood pressure is the force of your blood against the walls of your arteries. It can be measured manually or automatically with a wearable device.
  • Respiration rate is the number of times you breathe per minute. It can be measured manually by counting your breaths or automatically with a wearable device.
  • Body temperature is your internal body temperature. It can be measured manually with a thermometer or automatically with a wearable device.

Who Could Benefit from Vitals Monitoring?

A person monitoring her health vitals by pulse

There are a variety of people who could benefit from vitals monitoring, including:

Elderly patients: Vitals monitoring can help elderly patients maintain their independence and live safely at home.

Patients with chronic conditions: Patient monitoring can help patients with chronic conditions track their health data helping detect and identify potential problems early.

Those with multiple chronic conditions: Vitals monitoring can help patients with multiple chronic conditions track their health data and coordinate their care.

People who are hospitalized: Vitals monitoring can help hospitalized patients stay on top of their health status and avoid complications.

Patient Monitoring At Home with Isaac Care

One of Isaac Care’s unique features is the ability to monitor your health vitals from the comfort of your own home. Isaac Care’s monitoring is simple and easy to use. All the equipment is sent out to you preconfigured to ensure you have a swift set up. Monitoring your vitals at home means less hospital or doctor visits, early detection and the peace of mind your being looked after, without leaving the house.

The main benefit of Isaac Cares Vitals Monitoring feature is that when you go to the doctor, they can see how the patients’ health and trends look like over a long period of time such as blood pressure levels, glucose levels and activity levels. All this information is essential for early intervention, keeping people well .

Information is uploaded to the Circle of Care app which can be viewed by family members, caregivers or the person’s doctor.

Isaac Care allows for easy and effective monitoring of health trends over time. Our unique combination of remote patient monitoring, 24/7 fall response and personal care allows us to ensure the right care, is provided in the right place and at the right time. Allowing for data driven decision making and early interventions at the first sign of deteriorating health, Isaac Care is the ideal solution for effective home health monitoring.
– Lauren Byrne, Isaac Care


Benefits of Vitals Monitoring Include:

people who may benefit from vital monitoring Isaac Pendant
  • Improved patient outcomes: Monitoring can help improve patient outcomes by providing healthcare professionals with real-time data that can be used to make informed decisions about a patient’s care.
  • Reduced hospitalizations: Health Monitoring can help reduce hospitalizations by helping healthcare professionals identify potential problems early and intervene before a patient’s condition worsens.
  • Lower healthcare costs: Vitals monitoring can help lower healthcare costs by reducing the need for expensive interventions, such as hospitalizations.
  • Improved coordination of care: Patient Monitoring help improve the coordination of care by providing healthcare professionals with a complete picture of a patient’s health status.

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Our dedicated team are on hand to assist you in any way. Contact us on (042) 936 8391 or fill in your details in the contact form and one of our team will be in touch.

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