Dormy Care Communities is investing £200,000 in the roll-out of state-of-the-art falls prevention technology.

The move to support its 271 residents follows a successful pilot at the group’s Foxhunters Care Community in Abergavenny, South Wales where its installation in the home’s 70 rooms has helped prevent multiple falls and potential injuries, as well as freeing up care team time to spend with residents.

Nick Kinman, whose mum Mavis lives in Foxhunters, said: “My mum was falling a lot until the sensor was installed in her room and now this has stopped, so it’s a massive relief to myself and our family.”

Norway-based Sensio’s RoomMate sensor sends out infrared light and scans the room anonymously, so a person’s privacy is not impacted. When the sensor detects anything of concern, it automatically sends notifications to the home’s alarm system and to devices held by the care team who can complete an anonymised digital supervision of the room before taking immediate action if need be.

The person does not have to wear any device and the sensor can be customised individually. Using the sensors also helps reduce the need for the care team to physically supervise people in their rooms, protecting sleep and rest times and improving quality of life for residents.

Dormy Care Communities chief executive officer, Helen Davies-Parsons, said: “As a nurse of more than 30 years’ experience myself, I take the well-being of all the ladies and gentlemen who live in one of our homes incredibly seriously.

“We passionately believe in doing all we can to ensure the people who live in our communities can live their lives to the full, and continue to do the things they enjoy. Falls can be one of the biggest challenges care teams face in offering care for the elderly, and a fall can sadly be the beginning of increased physical or mental challenges for residents.

“We’ve been delighted by the results we’ve seen at Foxhunters and the feedback we have had – from the ladies and gentlemen, their relatives and our colleagues – and we look forward to this innovative technology through all of our homes.”