If you’re an older adult — or care for someone who is — falling is likely to be high on your list of worries. And rightfully so, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare1
- About 100,000 people aged 65 and older were hospitalised due to a fall in 2012–13
- While hip fractures account for 74% of fall injuries, injuries to the head were also common (22%)
That’s why we’re excited to introduce the latest feature of our Livio AI hearing aids. Using the built-in 3D sensors, Livio AI hearing aids can detect when a wearer falls, and send alert messages to selected friends or family members. Now, in addition to wearers enjoying our best sounding hearing aid ever, they and their loved ones can enjoy increased peace of mind, too.
Hearing loss and falling are common side effects of aging
Nearly 40 percent of people who live at home after reaching the age of 65 will fall at least once a year.2 Accidental falls pose a significant health risk to older adults. They often lead to a loss of independence and can abruptly alter the course of one’s life.
And people with mild hearing loss are three times more likely to have a history of falling than peers with normal hearing. 3
This correlation between hearing loss, ageing and falling is one reason why Starkey designed the world’s first hearing aid with a fall detection feature. The odds of having hearing loss and falling increase as we age, so having a single device that can help with multiple ageing issues — as opposed to a different device for each — is significantly more convenient and beneficial for users.
Hearing aids are ideal for detecting falls
Plus, unlike other fall-detection devices, which hang around the neck or are worn on the wrist, Livio AI benefits from the anatomy and physiology of the human body. During typical, daily activities and instances of falls, muscles in the neck work with the balance system of the inner ear to protect and stabilize the head. Since hearing aids are worn on the head, they are naturally less prone to mistake daily activities for falls than the devices worn on other parts of the body.4
How fall detection and alerts work
- The hearing aid wearer selects up to three contacts to be notified if they fall.
- They (or their hearing professional) can enter contacts easily into the Thrive Hearing app.
- The auto alert feature automatically sends an alert to the contact(s) if the hearing aid wearer falls.
- The alert contains the GPS location of the wearer.
- The contact can then immediately call the wearer back to check on them or otherwise get them help.
- The manual alert feature allows the wearer to simply tap their hearing aid to send an alert for a fall or non-fall related event.
Want to try Livio AI for yourself and learn more about its one-of-a-kind features? We can help. Call 1800 024 985 or click here and we’ll connect you with a local hearing healthcare professional who can demonstrate Livio AI hearing aids for you.