Wireless Sensor Network for Fall Prevention on Geriatric Wards: A Report.

With regard to the growing number of older adults, it needs smart solutions for fall prevention. Especially at geriatric institutions, the risk of falling is very high and frequently leads to injuries, resulting in serious consequences. We present the Inexpensive Node for Bed Exit Detection (INBED), a comprehensive signaling system for fall prevention. The INBED system is based on a wireless sensor network infrastructure via IEEE802.15.4 and highly-specialized open hardware in-house developed wearable. The device, which will be attached to the patients, can detect several types of movement. Occurring events are forwarded to the nursing staff immediately by using the self-organizing and scalable network including wide area network integration. The system can help to relieve the staff while the personal freedom of movement and privacy of patients is increased. With this development, the energy-efficient, simple and intuitive mechanisms of proximity communication can be combined with broadband benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]