CUSH Health

Predicting and
preventing falls

Predicting and preventing falls

CUSH Health was started by a team of British doctors to initially tackle the growing problem of falls in the elderly. They developed a way to use smartwatches and machine learning to identify at-risk patients and recommend personalised strength and balance exercise to prevent a fall from occurring. As front-line NHS doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic,

they recognised the huge impact the lockdown and shielding restrictions were having on the population. They have since turned their focus to utilise their remote monitoring and intervention platform to combat the rise in physical deconditioning and social isolation within the older adult community.

More serious injuries from falls

Falling is a major problem in the elderly and often has a bad outcome. Over the past ten years, the number of A&E visits for serious injuries caused by a fall has increased by 6 projects among the elderly aged 65 years and older. Hip fractures and head-brain injuries are the most common injuries. The number of fall incidents has increased over the last five years, especially in the over-70s, while it has remained stable in the over-65s group.

Professionals in the care sector regard the falling of the elderly as a complex, difficult and therefore difficult problem to tackle. If there is sufficient knowledge, prevention and treatment, there are certainly possibilities.

Personalised exercises

For many older adults, the main issues with getting started are knowing what they need to do, what intensity is safe for them and whether they are doing the activity right. Cush Health is uniquely positioned to help solve this problem. Cush aim to use their algorithms and a user’s smartwatch to predict muscle strength and fitness abilities. They are building a wide range of on-demand remote interventions that can be curated by healthcare professionals to build a program that is appropriate and safe for each individual user. They are working to connect the user, virtually and in person, with community activity groups, services and health and wellness providers in the user's local area. Cush aim to give older adults the resources, materials and confidence to get and stay active.

Co-creation sessions

Co-creation sessions with end users have taken place in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. As the product was still in the concept phase, this was most desirable. These sessions ensure that the entrepreneurs receive immediate feedback on their product and receive the right information at an early stage. This allows them to adapt the project in the right way.

In the Netherlands, two co-creation sessions took place at TanteLouise in Bergen op Zoom. The first session was held with care professionals who have a lot to do with falling elderly people, including physiotherapists and geriatric consultants. ​​​​

They mapped out what happens, step by step, to a person who falls and needs care. They also looked at the product and gave constructive (enthusiastic) feedback where possible.

A co-creation session was also held within TanteLouise with older volunteers. A session with clients of the care organisation was not possible due to the corona restrictions. An invitation to a select group of volunteers aged 60 and over led to enthusiastic reactions. Their experience in the organisation, but also their own life experience and ideas about the use of preventive means in the near future was very valuable.

The
sequel

Due to the coronavirus, the doctors at CUSH Healthcare have had to put the development of their product on hold. They have already launched a test version of this new platform in two UK hospitals, as part of a pilot study, and are working to validate the algorithms for a full launch in 2021.

A great deal of enthusiasm has been shown by the Dutch healthcare organisations. When the product is in a new phase, there is certainly a need to know more about it and to test it out.

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