Interdisciplinary design of a pervasive fall handling system: a case study

Abstract

Falls among elderly are an important concern as they impact the capability to live independently. Falls do not only have a negative impact on one's physical well-being, an increased risk of falling also has an important impact on one's psychological well-being. A context-aware fall handling system can mitigate many of the problems of falls by facilitating timely and appropriate handling of falls. In this paper, we present the results of an early exploration of using context as part of fall detection and resolution services in Flanders, Belgium. We put specific emphasis on the role of diverse disciplines during the process and reflect on their influence on the outcomes. We believe that these reflections could be more generally applicable for interdisciplinary research projects.