Fall Stop. Gamified Falls Prevention Exercise for Older Adults using computer-vision technology

**Background**

Good Boost is a social enterprise specialising in AI-personalised exercise programmes for older adults living with disabilities and musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs), including arthritis, back pain and pre/post hip and knee replacement surgery. **Unmet Need**

Falls fractures are a common and serious health issue for older adults in the UK. Around 1/3 adults over 65 will have at least one fall each year, with around 5% of falls ending in hospital (Kings Fund 2019), and falls are the primary cause of accidental mortality in this age group (NHS 2020). Hip fractures alone account for 1.8 million hospital bed days and £4.4bn in NHS costs annually (NICE 2021, NHS 2017).

Furthermore, falls are the primary cause of early entry into care settings, removing older adults' independence and placing additional cost and strain on overburdened social care services. However, falls and fractures in older adults are not an inevitable part of the ageing process and are preventable. Two key risk factors are muscle weakness (sarcopenia) and poor balance (Sherrington et al 2019).

Older adults are the most physically inactive age group and research demonstrates high awareness of a need to exercise but low motivation to sustain it (Age UK 2019). With a growing ageing population, this will become an ever-increasing problem with smaller resources and services to support. **The Innovation**

Motivation is a key factor in long-term maintenance of exercise (Sport England 2020); short-term strength and balance exercises will only create short-term benefit (Sherrington et al 2019). The innovation is to gamify strength, functional balance and neuromuscular exercise to create repeated activity and long-term behaviour change with augmented reality exercise games.

The programme will be delivered in leisure centres on land and in pools, aimed at adults 55+ to increase participation and measurable improvement of muscle strength, balance and reduction of falls risk. **R&D and Deployment**

The development of the gamified exercise program builds on our existing computer-vision technology and relationships with the leisure/retirement sector. This will achieve a novel approach to fall prevention that encourages older adults to engage regularly to build and maintain their strength and balance in both community settings and at-home. The technology will be made available to use in people's homes on a laptop or smart device within this project scope.

As a result, increasing regular and suitable exercise that reduces the risk of falls and subsequent hospitalisation and entry into care facilities.