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Integrated prevention and Detection sOlutioNs Tailored to the population and Risk Factors associated with FALLs (I-DONT-FALL)
Start date: Apr 1, 2012, End date: Sep 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Description Falls are the most prominent among the external causes of unintentional injury, since they account for approximately 40% of all injury deaths. Fall rates (and related mortality rates) vary depending on the country and the studied population. At the same time, falls are also associated with various risk factors, spanning the areas of biological, behavioral, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. In addition to this broad categorization, studies show that falls are commonly a result of the elderly/patients conditions and status including for example conditions associated with balance / gait, cardiovascular, medication, feet / footwear, vision, medical, depression, as well as other risk factors. In the recent years, ICT technologies have manifested their potential to enhance the autonomy and quality of life of elderly people, through boosting detection and/or prevention of elderly falls. Likewise, ICT solutions for fall detection and prevention could significantly reduce the cost associated with elderly care.\\n\\nThe value and effectiveness of these solutions could be maximized on the basis of their further integration and combination, but mainly on their tailoring to specific target groups and risk factors. This tailoring could allow potential fallers to use the most appropriate devices, modalities and program (e.g. in terms of proper frequencies/combinations for using certain devices). I-DONT-FALL project tackles this problem by testing integrated and fall management solutions, while allowing the tailoring of fall technological solutions to the specific needs, root causes, risk factors and cultural factors associated with fall incidents.\\n\\nThe main goal of the I-DONT-FALL project is to deploy, pilot and evaluate a range of innovative ICT solutions for fall detection and prevention management. The platform will be flexibly configured to the needs of specific target groups and risk factors associated with fall incidents. Based on the I-DONT-FALL integrated platform: (a) End-users will enjoy tailored fall technological solutions, while (b) Medical experts and health professionals will be offered a wide range of tools, enabling them to customize fall solutions to the end-users’ needs. The effectiveness of the solutions will be tested by over 500 elderly users/ patients across different countries, cultures, age groups and fall risk factors. From a policy perspective, the project will elicit best practices for tailoring fall management solutions to specific risk factors, root causes and users’ (fallers’) needs.\\n\\nIn particular, the I-DONT-FALL project will contribute to:1. Substantially prolonging the time that elderly people can live independently at home by providing ICT-based safety and fall prevention/detection services;2. Delivering evidence of improvements in the quality of life of older people and their families, as well as for health and social care systems and services;3. Facilitating wide take-up of ICT based fall prevention solutions across Europe;4. Ensuring a world leading position of European industry in innovative markets for ICT based solutions that support independent living and the ageing population
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