SafelyYou Helps Eskaton Reduce ER Visits Caused by Dementia-Related Resident Falls by 93%

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Real-time fall detection using SafelyYou’s artificial intelligence-enabled video recording reduced the need for emergency room visits by 93% due to falls among residents who are living with dementia and participating in a pilot program at three of Eskaton’s assisted living communities. According to a new white paper released today, Eskaton partnered with SafelyYou on a three-month pilot program to enhance residents’ well-being by reducing the risks of falls and fall-related injuries.

As a nonprofit organization serving older adults in Northern California since 1968, Eskaton’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for older adults through innovative health, housing and social services in the communities it owns and manages.

“SafelyYou plays an integral role in Eskaton’s fall prevention program,” said Betsy Donovan, chief operating officer for Eskaton. “By using SafelyYou, our care teams have been able to individualize care, better understand why and how a person falls and implement proactive ways to reduce the likelihood of future falls.”

“Eskaton is an amazing partner that truly embraces SafelyYou’s technology to both reduce falls for their residents living with dementia but also empower their staff to make a difference,” said Shirley Nickels, chief operating officer for SafelyYou.

From November 2018 through January 2019, SafelyYou conducted a pilot program and installed AI-enabled camera technology in three of Eskaton’s assisted living communities — Eskaton Village Placerville, Eskaton Village Carmichael and Eskaton Lodge Gold River. Overall, 57% of residents living in memory care neighborhoods participated across the three communities, totaling 35 participants out of 61 residents.

SafelyYou’s technology detects a fall by analyzing the video feed from cameras placed in a resident’s apartment, stores video only when a fall is detected and sends alerts to the care team when a fall occurs. Video of the fall is available immediately to the care team through a secure web platform, which also can be used to support conversations with the family as well as Emergency Medical Services about the need for an ER visit.

After three months with SafelyYou’s cameras, Eskaton reduced fall-related visits to the ER among participating residents by 93% and decreased response time to falls by 54%. In addition, only 20% of resident participants who fell required an EMS call and went to the ER compared to 100% of non-participants.

“Fall prevention and fall-related injury prevention requires an interdisciplinary approach,” said Teri Tift, executive director of Quality & Compliance for Eskaton. “SafelyYou provides our care partners the information they need to make educated decisions together based on real-time data.”

“It’s always challenging introducing new technology, but Eskaton really does have a culture of innovation, and the staff was open to learning and making efforts to make the program successful,” said Adrienne Lameray, customer success manager for SafelyYou. “Eskaton’s staff are there because they love the residents and genuinely want to do everything they can to provide the best possible care.”

Following the successful pilot program, Eskaton continues to use the SafelyYou technology in the three communities and has implemented it in two additional communities it owns and will start the program in one of its managed communities. In addition, a new pilot program will soon begin at Eskaton Care Center Green Haven, a care center providing short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing care.

To learn more about reducing falls and ER visits for residents in memory care, contact info@safely-you.com.

About Eskaton
Eskaton has been serving older adults in Northern California since 1968. As a nonprofit senior living provider, our mission is to enhance the lives of older adults through innovative health, housing and social services. With five decades of experience and a national reputation for innovation, Eskaton is Transforming the Aging Experience. For more information, please call 1-866-ESKATON, or visit eskaton.org.

About SafelyYou
Originating five years ago as the doctorate research of CEO George Netscher at the top-ranked UC Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab, SafelyYou utilizes cutting-edge artificial intelligence to empower care staff to implement fall prevention. Following the conclusion of a NIH-sponsored study with 11 memory care communities, research demonstrated 41% fewer falls and 69% fewer ER visits from falls. Specifically designed for Memory Care, or care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, SafelyYou utilizes AI detection and subsequent fall video review to provide better support for unwitnessed falls through robust ER decision making and root cause analysis to support fall prevention. Privacy and liability are protected through cameras that only activate when a fall is detected as validated by numerous independent legal counsels and liability insurance providers. Today, this proven technology is successfully deployed in numerous communities in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.safely-you.com or call 415-579-3630.

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SOURCE SafelyYou