Hip’Guard Hip Protection Belt
Vivid Care launches Hip’Guard ‘airbag belt’
Vivid Care, a nationwide healthcare supplier, has launched the Hip’Guard Hip Protection Belt into the UK market. This industry-first fall protection device uses innovative motion analysis, fall detection, and airbag technology to protect the wearer from hip fractures during a fall.
The launch took place on Thursday 22nd April at a virtual event attended by over 400 fall prevention specialists and other healthcare professionals.
Hip’Guard is the third fall assistance and protection device released by the company in 14 months, following their Raizer II and Raizer M falls lifting chair launches in January 2020 and January 2021.
How does Hip’Guard work?
The device is worn like a standard belt. With built-in motion sensors, it uses a validated algorithm to analyse the wearer’s movements over 1,000 times per second. It has been proven to reduce the impact of falls by 85% and to protect against hip fractures.
When a fall occurs, the algorithm automatically detects the falling motion in 0.2 seconds. Then, in under 0.8 seconds, the concealed airbag inflates and surrounds the hip before the falling person hits the floor.
The airbags have a specifically designed horseshoe shape. This protects the femoral neck by isolating it and spreading the force of the impact around the bone rather than onto it. The result is a high level of shock absorption which reduces the risk of hip fractures.
Researchers at Virginia Tech found that airbag hip protectors reduced fall impact by 85%, keeping the force of impact below the 3100 N threshold recognised to cause hip fractures.
Vivid Care hopes this product will help the NHS face the challenges from falls among older people. One third of people aged 65 and over fall at least once a year. Hip fractures are one of the most serious injuries associated with falls in this age group, with NHS trusts treating over 80,000 fractures each year.
Ahead of the launch, George Hulbert, Sales Director at Vivid Care, said:
“We are thrilled to be bringing Hip’Guard to market as the exclusive UK distributor. Statistics repeatedly show the significant risk that falls – and hip fractures especially – pose to the older people in our communities. 90% of hip fractures are caused by falls. After a hip fracture, 2 in 4 older people will never recover their independence and, sadly, 1 in 4 will die within a year.
Our team are always looking for new solutions that can change care for the better. Hip’Guard ticks that box for us. Crucially, it has been shown to effectively reduce the risk of hip fractures. But it’s also a product that is comfortable and practical for our customers to use. The belt is discreet, lightweight, and comes in multiple sizes. At our core, we’re all about enhancing quality of life. So, any wearable device we launched had to prioritise maintaining users’ confidence and independence.”
You can view the webinar launching Hip’Guard below
Hip’Guard is available to purchase directly from Vivid Care online, via telephone – 01423 799960, or from their Harrogate showroom.
Further Resources
You can see more about their range on Vivid Care’s showcase page
There is more information here about fall prevention
The number of falls in hospital settings has been increasing: Why more falls?
The latest information on osteoporosis
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