How can LoRa Technology Improve the Elderly Quality of Life?

Growing older comes with a bundle of challenges. A change in the mind and physical abilities and limited social opportunities can lead to isolation, depression, and impairments in the elderly. And falling is one of the main elderly problems due to muscle weakness and balance problems. However, technological innovations have helped older people to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

In that regard, LoRa technology can be helpful for the elderly as its IoT-based devices and sensors can help track their daily activities and progress. So, LoRa technology has designed a fall detection system based on IoT. It can help the elderly live an active, normal life by reducing the fear of not being discovered after a fall. So, here in this article, we will explore how the LoRa design fall detection system works and how it improves the elderly quality of life.

Falling Elderly Problem

Falling is one of the severe yet main problems faced by older people. It increases with age due to the reduced ability to respond effectively and rapidly. So, the following are some of the reasons for falling in elderly.

• Normal aging changes, like poor hearing and eyesight, can make a person likely to fall.
• Fall can also occur due to physical conditions and illness, which affect a person’s balance and strength.
• Similarly, scatter rugs and poor lighting at homes can make the elderly likely to slip or fall.
• Some medications’ side effects can upset older people’s balance. It includes medicines for high blood pressure, sleep, and depression that can cause falling.

So, to ensure the benefits of technology on aging and longevity, LoRa wireless design technology has designed fall detection systems to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.

How a LoRa-based Fall Detection System Works?

The fall detection system device by LoRa enables real-time analytics, connectivity, geolocation, and reporting. This device uses alert systems technology to identify and give emergency service to an elderly who is more likely to fall.

So, if the user falls, this system will immediately activate the sensors. The fall detection system is a wearable device that can be placed around the waist, wrist, and neck, depending on the device. Here is how you can know how the LoRa-based fall detection system works.

• Firstly, sensors embedded with LoRa design collect the falling or movement data.
• Then each sensor sends data to a LoRa gateway as the person moves.
• After receiving data from the sensors, the gateways send information to the cloud. And then, it analyzed the data by an application to figure out what is a normal move and what is falling.
• Lastly, the application server from the cloud sends alerts and reports of the falling and location of the person to a mobile or computer device.

Thus, fall detection systems ensure continuous protection against accidents caused by falls.

What are the benefits of using LoRa-based Fall Detection System?

There is no way of predicting when an emergency will occur. In that regard, fall detection systems are designed as they are one of the life-saving yet vital features of medical alert systems. When an older person falls and cannot press the help button. In that way, a device’s automatic fall detection feature will send an alert to caregivers, and the person can receive the help in real time. Here are some of the notable benefits of the fall detection system.

• It reduces the risk of severe medical conditions by giving caregivers a timely alert of falling.
• The fall detection device by LoRa design has reduced public health issues by up to 40% of people 65+ who experience a fall.
• It is easy to set up because the sensors don’t need to be connected to a power source.
• It reduces costs since the sensor battery can last up to 20 years thanks to its low-power operation.

Also, falling is more likely to happen in wet areas. In that case, there are waterproof fall detectors so you can take them swimming, to the beach, or even to the shower. Therefore, fall detection devices reduce the risk of long-term injury by detecting sudden movements. It also signals a prompt emergency response even if the person cannot call for help themselves.

It is useful to have a fall detection device in your home if you have elder parents or grandparents. It is more accurate for preventing their falling and further injuries.

The Bottom Line

To sum up, in today’s world, the possibilities of the internet are endless, and it can give older people with physical conditions the freedom to leave their homes at ease. And the fall detection system is one of them. The market is seeing several new technologies for fall detection.

Arshon Technology has good experience in the field of designing and manufacturing medical devices and also a good background in LoRa design services. If you want to develop a custom LoRa protocol for your needs, Arshon technology is one of the best choices in this field.

Author: Sara (Fakhri) Siahkar IoT Specialist @ Arshon Technology Inc.