The Challenge
The traditional approach for care staff involves checking on residents several times a night. This can disturb residents’ sleep and may miss events of concern. While some solutions exist, they are often reactive. Sensor mats beep when residents step on them, but they may walk past the mat, and sometimes it’s already too late. Fall detector systems and camera-based solutions are also typically reactive rather than proactive.
Did You Know?
- Care home residents are three times more likely to fall than those living independently and 10 times more likely to sustain serious injuries.
- 40% of hospital admissions from care homes are due to falls, costing the NHS over £2.3 billion annually.
- Falls also lead to litigation and negative publicity for care homes.
The Project
In July 2024, The Armscare Group installed Earzz acoustic monitors at Terrington Lodge Care Home in Norfolk to address these challenges. This pilot project, conducted under the oversight of a Director from the National Care Association and the Norfolk Care Association, was designed to independently evaluate Earzz for proactive fall management.
The Solution: Earzz AI Acoustic Monitoring
This pilot involved installing Earzz wireless, AI-powered acoustic monitoring devices in residents’ rooms. Unlike existing fall detection systems, Earzz takes a proactive approach to fall prevention:
- AI-Powered Early Alerts: Earzz recognises specific sounds like movement noise, sending early alerts to carers on their mobile devices to prevent falls, without the need for carers to monitor audio feeds constantly, thus maximizing their time for care.
- Proactive Fall Management: The system also detects sounds of restlessness and agitation, such as screaming or coughing, alerting carers to possible health decline, which helps in proactive fall management and care planning.
- Management Dashboard: Earzz’s dashboard provides analytics, offering managers insights into residents’ health trends and care quality, enabling proactive action while respecting resident privacy.
Results
- 85% Reduction in Falls: Rooms with Earzz installed saw a dramatic reduction in falls, dropping from 13 to just 2 over five weeks.
- Up to 24x Faster Response to Sounds of Concern: Sound recognition and AI-powered early alerts helped care staff respond within 5 minutes on average, significantly faster than before.
- Improved Sleep for Residents: By eliminating unnecessary nightly checks, Earzz helped residents sleep 5-6 hours more per night, minimizing disturbances.
- Key Metrics:
- 80% reduction in falls
- Up to 24x faster response times
- 50% improvement in resident sleep
- 80% reduction in unnecessary physical night-time checks
Improved Care for Residents, More Time for Carers
- Liberated Time for Carers: Eliminating unnecessary room checks frees up time for care staff to provide more personal, warm care.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: On average, six to seven hours are saved per fall in administrative tasks, freeing up more time for caregiving.
- Automated Night-Time Event Records: Earzz logs night-time events automatically, reducing the time carers spend on paperwork, further improving efficiency.
- Higher Staff Satisfaction: By preventing falls and reducing workloads, Earzz boosts staff morale, helping them make a greater impact in residents’ lives.
Testimonial
“It is our duty to encourage our service users to remain independently mobile. However, after a simple fall, there is often a definite decline in their abilities and confidence. This technology allows us to be proactive, providing the capability to monitor without intrusion. The system is constantly learning and adapting to the needs of our service users, keeping them safe from harm.”
Terrington Lodge care home in Norfolk