MILWAUKEE and SAN FRANCISCO – June 29, 2020 – Direct Supply®, which delivers solution-driven platforms designed to enhance the lives of millions of seniors, is partnering with SafelyYou, a memory care-focused health care technology company, to leverage their collective expertise and help reduce the number of resident falls in senior living communities during COVID-19 and beyond, as well as identify ways to lessen the financial burden of falls for providers in the United States and Canada.
Direct Supply recently introduced the 2020 Falls Action Research Project, a year-long initiative with the sole focus of significantly moving the needle on the problem of resident falls in assisted living communities. While COVID-19 has forced its way to the top of the list of concerns for communities, falls are still significant and are increasing by a staggering 20% in memory care facilities during these times of social isolation, according to SafelyYou data1.
“One of our primary goals at the Direct Supply Innovation & Technology Center (ITC) is to identify and vet the most promising solutions that can demonstrably improve outcomes while driving cost out of the healthcare system,” said Tom Paprocki, Managing Director of Direct Supply’s Innovation & Technology Center. “When we began our work on falls, we found that the cost to society was truly monumental — $50 billion in 2015 alone. However, the cost isn’t simply financial. Falls exact an enormous physical and emotional toll on older adults, their caregivers, and their families. This is a profound human problem, which affects us all, and we are determined to make a true impact for the better. Our partners at SafelyYou share this vision, and we are incredibly honored to work with them to prevent falls in concert with all of our customers across the senior health industry.”
SafelyYou’s AI-Enabled Fall Technology
SafelyYou provides real-time fall detection by using artificial intelligence-enabled technology to record video of resident falls. When an incident happens, it notifies care staff immediately so the video can be reviewed, and the appropriate action can take place. 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. According to pilot study results published in the American Journal of Managed Care, SafelyYou’s video recordings reduced the need for emergency services by an astounding 80% in dementia care facilities2.
“Today 80-90% of falls go unwitnessed,” said George Netscher, CEO of SafelyYou2. “That’s particularly tough when you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s who can’t necessarily tell you what happened. Our fall detection system, coupled with staff review of fall videos, leads to a more accurate identification of serious falls and prevents unnecessary measures and costs due to the unknown. We’re excited to work closely with Direct Supply and bring this service to their customers. It’s critical now more than ever to avoid sending folks living with dementia to the hospital unnecessarily during the COVID-19 crisis.”
Direct Supply’s Innovation & Technology Center
Direct Supply is leveraging the full reach of its ITC, which is located in the heart of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) campus and opened in October 2019. The ITC is the largest of its kind in the nation and employs more than 200 engineers who collaborate with startups, universities, industry partners and progressive care providers to develop technology-based solutions that will help shape the future of senior care. The ITC strives to help senior-care professionals with lowering costs, demonstrably improve outcomes and heighten the resident experience in senior care, an industry often underserved by innovation.
Direct Supply’s Technology Solutions Team
Working in conjunction with Direct Supply’s Innovation & Technology Center, Direct Supply has a dedicated Technology Solutions team focused on bringing new and innovative senior living technologies to market. This team helps senior living communities make the right foundational technology decisions, including installing the latest building infrastructure and systems, to help improve operations and provide the best resident care now in the future.
Senior Living Collaboration
The Direct Supply and SafelyYou senior living collaboration will improve the quality of care and economic outcomes across the industry — from skilled nursing and assisted living providers to insurance companies. Many of these industry providers are currently leveraging the expertise of Direct Supply and SafelyYou and benefiting from fewer falls.
One such provider is The Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), which is both an ITC strategic partner and a solution accelerator, focusing almost exclusively on solutions for those affected by cognitive decline.
“We are working with SafelyYou through our Industry Innovation Partnership Program (I2P2) to conduct a clinical validation study to test its fall-detection technology in a real-world environment,” said Mel Barsky, Director of Business Development for CABHI. “We are eagerly awaiting the results based on the success of previous studies and look forward to seeing the positive impact the Direct Supply and SafelyYou partnership will have on residents’ well-being and the bottom line for senior living providers.”
Dave Coluzzi, President of Carlton Senior Living, one of Northern California’s most successful senior living providers, said, “The alliance of Direct Supply and SafelyYou could not come at a better time since all communities are striving to keep residents safe and enhance their quality of life during this unprecedented time. We have reduced falls and unnecessary emergency room visits by working with both companies. The success of our fall-reduction program gives families peace of mind as they make the transition to moving their loved ones into a senior-living community.”
“Falls are the top cause of injury on our senior living professional liability book, making up more than half of total loss dollars,” said Jim Ketterson, Director of Social Markets – Senior Living at Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (a stock insurer)3. “In nearly two-thirds of fall claims, plaintiffs include failure to properly monitor residents in their allegations of negligence. Church Mutual® is one of the nation’s leading providers of property and casualty insurance for senior living communities. The Direct Supply and SafelyYou partnership will help put the much-needed monitoring in place to lessen the number of falls and insurance claims, ultimately driving a reduction in premium costs.”
For more information about implementing SafelyYou’s technology, please call 1-800—889-6504 or visit www.directsupply.com/safely-you
About Direct Supply
Direct Supply delivers solution-driven platforms designed to bring what’s next to Senior Living. From care technology and procurement tools to building management, design and development services, our mission is to help care providers – and the seniors they serve – thrive. Direct Supply also leads and supports the most important efforts shaping national policy to help ensure Senior Living has the resources it needs to continue caring for our seniors – now and in the future. Learn more at DirectSupply.com.
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 uses 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 falls2. Specifically designed for memory care, or care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, SafelyYou uses 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 or to reach out directly, please visit www.safely-you.com or call 415-579-3630.
120% increase based on comparison of two four-week periods, one before COVID-19 and one when COVID-19 distancing protocols were in effect. Data based on detected falls in 23 communities using the SafelyYou solution.
2Aggregated data from facilities prior to and after implementing the SafelyYou solution during a 32 week period in 2019-2020. Individual and community results will vary based on a variety of factors.
3Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/2020. S.I. = a stock insurer.
Direct Supply Contact:
Mary Palmer
[email protected]
262-370-4689
SafelyYou Contact:
Shelley Hughes
[email protected]
312-731-1782
