Innovations
| Geriatric Times |  |
May/June 2001 | |
Vol. II | |
Issue 3 |
New Grab Bar Promotes Safety, May Help Prevent Falls
Falls are a serious health threat for older adults, who comprise 80% of those killed by falls. Falls are also the leading cause of injury and hospital admission for seniors. Extend A Hand (EAH), manufactured by Sarff Systems Inc., is a new grab-bar assistance device designed to reduce this risk.
The EAH grab bar locks outward 12 inches from the wall, making it closer and easier to reach than conventional grab bars. While locked in place, the extension can support over 600 pounds of sustained weight, and it can fold down and out of the way when not in use. The device is available in three lengths -- 16", 24" and 32" -- and can be mounted directly onto existing studs.
According to Sarff, the device "promotes user safety and independence" and in nursing homes and assisted living facilities it, "decreases chance of injury to staff due to overexerting while maneuvering a resident." The EAH is compliant with both the Americans with Disabilities Act and bathroom safety standards. The EAH is approved for Washington State Medicaid coverage, and Sarff is seeking Medicare coverage and Medicaid coverage in all other states.
The EAH can be used in homes, apartments, retirement apartments and communities, assisted living facilities, advanced assisted living facilities, adult family homes, nursing homes, therapy centers, and hospitals -- JH
FDA Approves Wrist Device To Monitor Trends, Patterns in Glucose
Levels
On March 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the GlucoWatch Automatic Glucose Biographer to detect and track trends and patterns in glucose levels in adults with diabetes. It is an adjunct to standard home glucose monitoring devices and is not intended to replace them.
The GlucoWatch Biographer consists of two integrated parts -- the biographer and the autosensor. Together, they use an extremely low electrical current to pull glucose through the skin, collect and transform the glucose into an electrical signal, and then convert the signal into a glucose reading. The biographer, which is worn like a watch, calculates, displays and stores the glucose readings. The autosensor is a single-use component that snaps onto the back of the biographer and adheres to the skin, collecting and measuring the glucose sample.
The manufacturer of the GlucoWatch, Cygnus Inc., expects to begin marketing the device by the end of this year. The two components are sold separately and are available by prescription only, and patients who are prescribed the GlucoWatch are required to undergo a training program.
While studies have shown that frequent (four to seven times a day) glucose monitoring, along with appropriate insulin adjustments, can reduce many of the long-term complications of diabetes, most patients with diabetes only take readings once or twice a day due to the pain and inconvenience of traditional testing. The GlucoWatch can measure glucose levels as often as every 20 minutes for up to 12 hours.
Some of the suggested uses for the GlucoWatch include: when the patient's normal routine is disrupted; during periods of dose adjustment or other therapy transitions; for detection of underlying problems in patients with higher than expected hemoglobin A1c results (relative to standard testing results); at nighttime to detect causes of nocturnal or fasting hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia; and as an educational tool to show patients the effects of dietary choices and activity levels.
Most subjects experienced mild to moderate skin irritation at the extraction and adhesive sites after use of the GlucoWatch. Intense erythema or edema was seen in less than 1% of extraction and adhesion sites. The irritation resolved within a few days, with no indication of contact sensitization.
The GlucoWatch offers multiple language support and two units of measurement (mg/dL or mmol/L). Glucose levels can be stored using seven "event" choices to measure how day-to-day activities affect them. The GlucoWatch also can be programmed to sound an alarm for both high and low glucose levels, as well as a rapid decline alert -- EAD
New Underpant Hip Protectors May Prevent Fractures Due to Falls
Falls are a determining factor in almost half of nursing home admissions. Hip fractures in the elderly are devastating, costly, traumatic, life-altering and life-threatening events. A controlled, two-year study recently conducted by the Elder Service Plan of East Boston examined the use of HipSavers, manufactured by HipSaver Co. Inc. These hip protectors are underpants with soft thin pads of laminated, shock-absorbing elastomers covering each hip.
The authors of the study hypothesized that if the energy load from a fall could be transmitted at a slower velocity or dissipated over a larger area, injury could be prevented. Home-care members similar in age and sex were assessed for risk of falling. Study participants who had two or more falls in the previous four months were defined as being at high risk and were non-randomly assigned to wear the padded underwear (n=29). Less at-risk members (n=438) did not wear them. The total falls reported were 568 in the 467 members. The group not wearing HipSavers had 369 falls resulting in 16 hip fractures. The HipSavers group reported 199 falls but no hip fractures. (The study did not include measures of osteoporosis, bone density, nutrition or endocrine factors, which may cause potential differences between the groups' likelihood for fractures.)
Edward Goodwin, president of HipSaver Co. Inc., said in a statement to the press, "Hip protectors are evolving as the preferred point of incident intervention. Newer, user-friendly designs and support from primary health [care] providers will facilitate the widespread use of hip protectors" -- AV
FDA-Approved Device Provides Definitive Quantification of Obstructive Sleep
Apnea
Affecting as many as 20 million Americans, sleep apnea is the most widespread and most severe of sleep-disordered breathing problems. Sleep apnea accounts for close to $20 billion in the nation's health care expenditures, according to Sleep Solutions Inc.
Sleep Solutions Inc. offers a way to perform sleep studies in the patient's home, thus eliminating the need for an overnight stay in a sleep laboratory. The Internet-enabled Bedbugg At-Home Diagnostic Service is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and utilizes a system for monitoring sleep-disordered breathing based on proprietary sound analysis technology. The Bedbugg Diagnostic System provides a definitive quantification of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by collecting sleep data that are then returned to Sleep Solutions. A comprehensive summary is sent to the physician for review and diagnosis.
Sleep disorders represent a growing area of opportunity because there are so many unmet needs in both diagnosis and treatment. "Awareness of sleep apnea as a widespread and serious health problem is growing, yet 95 percent of sleep apnea sufferers don't know they have it," explained Bruce Adornato, M.D., Sleep Solution's medical director, in a statement to the press -- AV