Europe’s largest digital-first home healthcare provider Cera Care has developed a new AI tool that could save elderly people from suffering fractures as a result of unintended falls. The tool called ‘Falls Prediction AI’ leverages artificial intelligence to predict which adult is most likely to fall at home.
One in Four Old Adults Falls Every Year
The condition where people fall can be caused by several factors. However, it’s usually associated with aging and is experienced mostly by elderly people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of older people between the ages of 65 and above fall every year. Furthermore, one out of four older people is likely to experience this condition, and once it happens, there is a high chance it could repeat again.
In the United Kingdom alone, the total annual cost of fragility fractures caused by falls is estimated at a whopping £4.4 billion (over $5.6 billion). Cera said its new AI tool would eradicate this problem, prevent hospitalizations, and ultimately improve social care.
By collecting key information such as poor sleep or a change in mood, Cera’s Fall Prediction AI can reportedly tell if a patient or elderly person is at risk of falling, with an 83% accuracy rate. The tool predicts the chances a week before it happens, enabling caregivers to intervene and save the people from potential injuries and fractures.
Cera’s AI Tool Rolls Out in the UK
Starting in the UK, Cera said the tool would be rolled out across Wiltshire, Wirral, Yorkshire South and West, Essex and Havering, Abercynon, and Forth Valley. According to reports, the company has also begun engaging with local authorities and the UK’s National Health Service for broader use of the tool.
“This breakthrough could stop thousands of elderly people from falling over and ending up in hospitals,” said Cera CEO Dr Ben Maruthappu MBE. “It is avoidable, and we want to work with local authorities and the NHS to stop these falls and deliver better care. This not only helps people live longer healthier lives in their own homes but, in turn, also reduces pressures on the NHS and has the potential to save up to £550 million per year.”
Cera takes pride in the fact that Falls Prediction AI does not replace any task handled by its carers and nurses. The company’s AI tool requires in-person human interaction, where the caregivers and nurse need to physically visit the homes of elderly people and collect important information for the tool.
This is unlike many AI tools like ChatGPT, which has fueled notions that artificial intelligence will replace human jobs. These assumptions have made some people repellent to the concept and potential of AI. However, some regions like the UK are increasingly growing lenient on AI.
Cryptopolitan reported Wednesday that the UK government is planning to invest multi-million-pound across 12 cutting-edge AI initiatives to enhance decarbonization efforts and advance renewable energy generation. The country is also set to play host to an AI summit that will unite global leaders and top AI executives on the advancement of technology.
