N.B. senior residence unveils fall detection system

A senior residence in Cap-Pele, N.B., is the first in the region to test a new radar-based fall detection system.

A New Brunswick senior residence has unveiled a radar-based fall detection system designed to keep residents safe.

Castel des flots bleus in Cap-Pelé launched the system in partnership with Quebec-based company Ad Valorem Group and the Université de Moncton.

“It is a game changer in how we take care of our older people,” Marie-Pierre Beaubien, president of Ad Valorem Group, said. “Because when you fall you might not be able to press the button, you might stay on the ground for a long time – three hours, four hours, overnight – before someone comes.”

It is the first time this technology has been used at a New Brunswick nursing home.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, falls are the leading cause of serious injury among seniors in Canada. Falls make up 87 per cent of hospitalizations.

“The average time for hospitalization is 22 days after a fall. So, we might not have to go to the hospital if we find that person within five minutes,” Beaubien said.

The system detects falls quickly while respecting residents’ privacy. Its sensors monitor movement patterns and use artificial intelligence to potentially predict future fall risks.

“I think it’s terrific. At 83 anything can happen, I probably don’t need it right now but there’s a lot of people who do,” Trudy Borque, a resident at Castel des flots bleus, said.

In an email to CTV News Atlantic, the Department of Social Development says strengthening senior care is their priority, and find projects like this one is encouraging, but didn’t make any commitment to adding to other nursing homes.

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