Walk five meters on a special floor, after which you know exactly how high your risk of falling is. A study into fall prevention among people over 65 will start this month in Assen. In six months, 200 of them will walk across this smart floor once a month. The intention of the measurements is that an increased risk of falling is recognized in time.
In the Netherlands there are many fall incidents every year with serious consequences, as physiotherapist Lucie Bakker of Van der Knaap & Postmus physiotherapists also knows. “In our practice, we see many people with broken hips or other complaints after they have fallen. The cause of such a fall is often something that can be prevented.”
The owner of the Smart Floor, Frans Lefeber, notices that there are many incidents due to falls. “In the Netherlands we have 3.7 million inhabitants over the age of 65. They are responsible for 2.8 billion of the healthcare costs and that must be reduced, the government believes. And with this floor you can quickly identify residents who are at risk of falling and what to do about it. fall risk.”
The measurement taken after a short walk on the floor divides people into three categories. The green is for people who are not at risk of falling, orange indicates a mild risk and the category red means a high risk of falling. People in the green category should keep moving, says Lefeber. “If people are in a higher category, there are plenty of exercise programs that are reimbursed by health insurance. And if that doesn’t work, then an aid can always be used.”
Continuing to measure the participants is especially important, because this way physiotherapists can see whether people are not deteriorating. “If there is a drop in the measurement, so the risk of falling has increased, a physiotherapist can intervene. For example, by discussing a treatment plan or someone’s medication. But it is also possible that things are going better. Then the treatment will work and that is also good to know”, explains Lefeber.
According to Bakker, it is important that people come by, because the results of the measurement allow the physiotherapist to do something about the risk. “We can improve or train on balance if the strength is no longer so good. But sometimes an aid, such as a cane or walker, is also necessary.”
The measurements are taken on Wednesdays and Fridays, possibly at three locations in Assen: Health Center Messchenstaete (Hoekbree 3), Health Center Noorderpark (Molenstraat 262 at Van der Knaap and Postmus Physiotherapists) and at the Vegro (Kloekhorststraat 27). At the moment, about a hundred residents have registered for these monthly walk tests. Interested parties can still register.
Want to see how the smart floor works? Then watch the video below