Summary
In 2023, Cypress Living, a resource for senior living care, was looking for a comprehensive fall detection system and an alternative to traditional life safety systems for its new Independent Living (IL) development, The Oaks, in Ft. Myers, Florida. With its use of optical sensors, artificial intelligence, sleek design, and ability to detect 100% of falls, the Nobi Smart Light was the ideal solution to keep residents safe while offering a sense of dignity and freedom.
With data showing that 91% of falls in IL facilities happen in the bathroom, the Nobi Smart Light and the smaller Nobita were installed in the master bathrooms of 48 residences at The Oaks. Residents began moving into The Oaks in January 2024.
The Problem: Impact of Falls in the US
Mobility, balance issues, and muscle weakness increase fall risk in older adults, who often live longer with chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. These illnesses and their treatments further elevate fall risk. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older, posing significant challenges for seniors, care facilities, and the healthcare system.
US Fall Facts
EVERY YEAR
+14 million
falls *
1 in 4 older adults falls *
$50 billion on medical fall related costs *
*https://www.cdc.gov/falls/pdf/CDC-DIP_At-a-Glance_Falls_508.pdf
THE PAST 10 YEARS
60% increase of older adult fall deaths **
20% increase of emergency department visits **
**https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/older-adult-falls/
Because The Oaks is an independent living facility it became even more important for executives at Cypress Living to find a life safety system that not only alerts team members to a fall after the fact – but helps prevent falls in the first place.
The Solution
Typical life safety systems haven’t evolved with technology and still require someone to pull a cord or press a button when they need help. There are serious limitations to these systems because the reality is that people don’t always have the ability to do those things – or may not even be conscious when they need help, especially after a fall.
Cypress Living VP of Innovation Joe Velderman recognised these limitations and the significant advantages that the Nobi lights offer.
He turned to Nobi and its advanced AI capabilities to help with the prevention and detection of falls.
How do Nobi Smart Lights work?
Nobi continually scans the room with optical and sound sensors, with its AI capabilities recognising objects and people in the room and analysing their position (in or out of bed, in or out of bathroom, on the floor, etc.). Based on this, Nobi lights up the room when someone leaves the bed at night, sounds an alarm when a resident has fallen, and gives care staff insight into residents' well-being and health through behavioural monitoring.
How is it implemented at The Oaks?
Prevention
Optical sensors in the lights automatically detect motion when a resident walks in to the bathroom and the light turns on to help prevent conditions where falling is a greater possibility.
Detection
In the event of a fall, team members are immediately alerted and contacts the resident. If there is no answer or the resident needs help, the team member is able to respond immediately. The Nobi system also has the capability to program family members into the system to receive a call if a fall occurs.
Watch Samira's testimonial here:
100% Privacy protection
Safety without sacrificing privacy is especially important to residents who rely on Cypress Cove and the Nobi brand.
How Nobi protects your privacy
Residents can choose their level of privacy with the Nobi system – no image, a anonymised stick figure, or a full image can be transmitted after a fall.
If there are no falls, no images are shared to the cloud. Each Nobi light handles all computing locally on its own powerful processor.
Depending on the privacy settings, and only in the event of a fall, Nobi will store images in the cloud for care professionals to better assess the required care following a fall and to prevent future falls. Images can only be viewed by team members, sending them to others and taking screenshots is prohibited by the system. Images are also automatically deleted 14 days after the fall.
“The Nobi system isn’t intrusive at all. You don’t feel like you are being monitored – you feel like you are being protected.”
Results
The Nobi Smart Lights have contributed to resident satisfaction and safety.
Nobi in a nutshell
Enhances dignity with sleek design
Pull cord-free for guaranteed assistance after a fall
Expands coverage in high-risk fall
areas
Improves fall event awareness
Prevents future falls with AI technology
Prolongs residents' independence
100% privacy protection
