Furthermore, out of 5,875 respondents to a recent survey by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, 21% fell in the last year and another 17% reported issues with balance or walking. UnitedHealthcare assessed 15,000 individuals at least 65 years of age in a 10-state region who are enrolled in AARP Medicare Supplement plans. Researchers found that falling and the risk of falling had a stronger influence on quality of life than many common chronic health conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, or hypertension.

Dr. Richard J. Migliori, executive vice president of Health Services at UnitedHealth Group, said, “It is clear from this survey [...] that falling and being at risk of falling also affect quality of life mentally and socially, as well as physically.” The full survey, “The Burden of Falling on the Quality of Life Among Adults with Medicare Supplement Insurance,” will be published in the August issue of Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

One solution to combat the risk of falling is — believe it or not! — playing video games. “Video games have this quality about them that they make you want to play them continually. When you’re delivering exercise services, that’s perfect,” says Dr. Stuart Smith, senior research scientist for Neuroscience Research Australia. Dr. Smith continues, “We have to engage older adults in repetitive, balance improving exercise. Exercise is absolutely the cheapest solution.”

Dr. Smith says that the games can aid in rehabilitation for strokes and other conditions, too. He also cites the example of a particular Parkinson’s disease patient who would normally need to make multiple bus trips for a single neurologist consultation.

Video game technology eliminates the need for travel to a doctor’s office. Video games can help hone mental sharpness as well.

At the Life Care Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, a gaming system developed especially for seniors uses a camera to capture the person’s movements. The game helps increase mobility, stability, and memory. Both seniors interviewed about the system by host Connie Colla for ABC15 mentioned “fear” as a concern when doing balance exercises. One of the women said, “I wasn’t afraid,” in regards to using the game to do her exercises, even without using her walker.

A program designed by East Carolina University students in North Carolina uses the Nintendo Wii video game system to help increase core stability and balance in seniors. “When they have a fear if falling they tend to restrict activity, thinking it won’t make them fall. When in reality, it really increases their risk of falling. So I want to get them out here in a safe environment where we can familiarize them with this kind of technology,” says recreational therapist Whitney Sauter, one of the grad students involved in the project.

As the article on WNCT.com about the North Carolina program points out, video games are also a great way to bridge generation gaps: “It’s something seniors can do not only with each other, but with their grandkids. And it’s fun too.”

Source: “Falls and Risk of Falling Have Greater Impact on Older Adults’ Quality of Life Than Diabetes, Hypertension and Other Chronic Conditions, According to New Survey,” MarketWatch, 08/02/11
Source: “Video Games And The NBN Will Stop Gran Breaking Her Hip,” Gizmodo, 08/01/11
Source: “Move over, Wii! New virtual gaming system for seniors,” ABC15.com, 07/28/11
Source: “Seniors Use Wii To Stay In Shape,” WNCT.com, 08/01/11
Image by Napalm filled tires (Jason), used under its Creative Commons license.

The growth of the mHealth industry is evidenced by the increase in available mHealth apps and devices, the rising number of companies that produce the technologies, and the amount of money invested from a variety of sources. The Center for Technology and Aging (CTA), based in California, recently announced (PDF) that it will award grants totaling nearly $500,000 to five organizations that can demonstrate the best ways to implement mHealth technologies for older adults with chronic health conditions.

“These technologies can and should be more rapidly adopted by healthcare providers and patients because they reduce the use of ERs and hospitals by older adults, diminish the need for those with chronic illness to move to intensive higher-cost care settings, and lessen the burden on family and professional caregivers,” said David Lindeman, Ph.D., director of the Center for Technology and Aging. The one-year grants are funded by a variety of sources, including The SCAN Foundation, an organization devoted to advancing health care and independence for seniors.

CTA aims to improve the independence of older adults dealing with chronic health care issues by promoting the adoption and diffusion of beneficial technologies. Nearly half of all Americans have at least one chronic health condition, and a quarter of them have multiple chronic conditions. Over 80% of adults over the age of 65 (PDF) have more than one chronic condition.

The five grantee organizations are CalOptima, Family Services Agency of San Francisco, Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing, HealthInsight, and Sharp HealthCare Foundation. Abstracts of all five of the projects approved for funding can be found on the CTA website (PDF). Some of those projects include cloud-based electronic health record with tablet-based tools, a medication adherence app for smartphones, and remote monitoring systems.

Remote monitoring is a hot topic within mHealth. A report by Juniper Research indicates that remote health-monitoring technologies could save as much as $5.83 billion in health care costs in the next three years, and at least $1.96 billion. In a piece for Reuters Money, health care journalist Matt Stroud partly explains these high figures:

A recent study from Genworth Financial showed that a private room in a New York nursing home this year could cost as much as $119,355 annually. In Massachusetts, it’s $125,925. And in Alaska of all places, it’s $227,760. So people are looking toward technology to manage elder care longer — and keep their older relatives safer — without breaking the bank or resorting to full-time nursing facilities.

Obviously, elder care is not just a concern within the United States. Researchers at a university in Braunschweig, Germany, are testing ways to equip homes with a network of sensors and other electronics that will help the elderly and the infirmed remain independent and stay in their own homes longer. One issue that complicates remaining independent within the home is that one in three adults over the age of 65 falls each year. In 2000, $19 billion was spent on injuries related to falls, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that by 2020, spending could increase to $54.9 billion a year.

A company called Interactive Medical Production recently unveiled its Ustabilize app, which measures a person’s stability in various positions and provides a Web-based platform to track results.

“Good balance is very important to overall health. Most individuals know how much they weigh, but very few have any idea about how well or how poorly they balance,” said Michael T. Muldoon, a physical therapist and founder of Interactive Medical Production.

In partnership with Mayo Clinic, a company called Gaiam has launched a series of apps specifically for arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, heart health, insomnia, back pain, menopause, weight loss, and irritable bowel syndrome. Each app offers important information on the specific condition, followed by both conventional and alternative therapy options. An expert will lead users through a series of meditative and restorative activities tailored to each condition, and each app includes an interactive tool that introduces stress management strategies.

In its position paper entitled, “mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults” (PDF), the CTA writes,

[…] mHealth technologies can help older adults maintain their independence, delay their transition to higher levels of healthcare, improve access to care, and foster patient-centered care that is available anywhere and at anytime. As today’s older adults are more mobile than their predecessors, mobile devices are becoming an increasingly essential tool for an active population.

Source: “Mobile Health Elder Care Apps Get Funding,” InformationWeek, 08/01/11
Source: “Mobile Health IT Benefits Seniors,” NextGov, 08/03/11
Source: “Technology making home living easier for the elderly,” Monsters and Critics, 08/18/11
Source: “Husband & Wife Team Launch App Hoping to Increase Balance and Stability in Senior Citizens,” BostInnovation, 08/08/11
Source: “Gaiam Launches ‘Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions’ Apps,” Elevated Existence, 08/11/11
Source: “Center For Technology And Aging Awards Mobile Health Grants (PDF),” press release from the Center for Technology and Aging, 07/27/11
Source: “I’ve fallen and I can’t Tweet: New tech solutions to elder care,” Reuters Money, 08/10/11
Source: “mHealthTechnologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults,” (PDF), draft position paper from the Center for Technology and Aging, March 2011
Image by Quinn Dombrowski, used under its Creative Commons license.

The benefits of yoga include increased balance, stronger muscles, and improved mood. In an article for the Senior Fitness Association, authors Sara Kooperman and Lisa Ackerman also cite studies that showed benefits from yoga for sufferers of arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension. The duo also write, “Of grave concern for our senior population is the lack of balance which stems, in part, from sitting rather than standing and from not challenging one’s balance in various positions.”

In the U.S. alone, 300,000 people over the age of 64 break their hips each year, and 3/4 of them are women. More than 90% of these fractures result from falls, which proves just how important fall prevention is for seniors. Lack of physical fitness, particularly weak leg muscles, is one factor that leads to falls that can cause broken hips.

In an Ottawa Citizen article about avoiding these spills, writer Valerie Berenyi quotes Judy Hughes, a fall-prevention resource nurse with Alberta Health Services in Canada. Berenyi writes,

As people age, muscle mass shrinks, says Hughes. That’s why she and other experts advocate fall-prevention fitness programs to improve balance and build up elders’ thigh and core muscles. If they slip or trip, or a pet or grandchild gets underfoot, they can more easily ‘catch’ themselves and stay upright.

Thirty minutes a day of exercise should include strength and balance exercises, such as lifting light weights, climbing stairs or doing tai chi. Walking, dancing and swimming build endurance. Stretching, yoga and tai chi improve flexibility. It’s important to exercise keeping in mind the health conditions you may have.

Your local gym or community center may even offer yoga classes specifically designed for seniors. In a piece entitled “Yoga for Seniors,” Ann Pizer, About.com Guide for yoga, reminds us that the benefits will not come overnight, however. Pizer recommends regularly practicing at least three times a week for optimum effect. As with any new fitness regimen, please be sure to check with a physician before you begin.

Source: “Helping seniors stay on their feet,” Ottawa Citizen, 07/14/11
Source: “Yoga for Seniors, About.com, last updated 07/22/11
Source: “Yoga for the 50+,” Senior Fitness Association
Source: “Hip fractures a mortal test for elders and for medicine,” The Boston Globe, 12/10/06
Image by tarotastic (Taro Taylor), used under its Creative Commons license.