MAKASSAR, Indonesia, July, 2024/EAGING/ – Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Many older adults who survive a stroke face long-term challenges such as limited mobility, reduced independence, and difficulty performing everyday activities. These challenges often occur after patients return home from the hospital, where professional rehabilitation support may no longer be available. Fortunately, advances in technology are opening new possibilities to support recovery and improve quality of life.
A recent study, titled “Sensor Monitoring to Determine Daily Physical Functioning Among Post-Stroke Older People in a Home Setting: Pilot Study”, Article Published in the Philippine Journal of Nursing in July 2024, explored how wearable sensor technology can help monitor the daily physical functioning of older adults who have experienced a stroke. Instead of relying only on occasional clinical visits or self-reported information, researchers used a small wearable device to track the real daily activities of stroke survivors in their own homes.
The study involved sixteen older adults living at home after experiencing a stroke in Makassar, Indonesia. Each participant wore a device called the Physical Activity Monitor (PAM) AM300, a wearable sensor that functions like a small accelerometer placed on the hip. The device recorded daily movement patterns, activity types, and energy expenditure over a period of seven days. This allowed researchers to observe how active participants were in their normal environment.
In addition to sensor monitoring, researchers also used the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), a widely used tool to evaluate a person’s ability to perform daily activities such as walking, moving between positions, and maintaining personal independence. By combining these two approaches, the study aimed to create a more accurate picture of how stroke survivors function in everyday life.
The results revealed an important insight: most participants spent the majority of their time performing light activities inside their homes, with very little participation in sports or structured physical exercise. Furthermore, the FIM results showed that only about one-quarter of participants had full independence when walking, and none were fully independent when climbing stairs.
These findings highlight a common but often overlooked issue. When healthcare professionals evaluate patients in hospitals or clinics, they may only see the patient’s best performance. However, daily life at home can be very different. Sensor monitoring provides continuous and objective data that reveals how people actually move, rest, and perform daily tasks.
This innovation strongly relates to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-Being, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages. By using simple wearable technology, healthcare providers can detect early signs of declining mobility, design more personalised rehabilitation programs, and support stroke survivors in maintaining independence.
Moreover, the study emphasises the importance of community-based rehabilitation services. Many developing countries still lack structured programs to support patients after they leave hospitals. Sensor monitoring systems can help bridge this gap by providing continuous information about patients’ physical functioning and enabling more targeted care.
In the future, affordable and locally produced monitoring technologies could play an important role in public health systems. When combined with medical expertise and community support, these innovations may help stroke survivors live healthier, more independent lives.
Reference
DOI: https://scholar.unhas.ac.id/en/publications/sensor-monitoring-to-determine-daily-physical-functioning-among-p/
Contact:
Andi Masyitha Irwan, S.Kep., Ns., MAN., Ph.D.
+6285342600183
citha_ners@med.unhas.ac.id
