How radar technology is redefining fall detection

It is rare that an informal meeting at a technology development event turns into an 18-month journey of adaptation and discovery. What began as a conversation at MTL Connect in 2022 evolved into a real-world pilot of a solution that promises to change how we protect our most vulnerable residents: the LISA solution by Living Safe.

Montreal-based Living Safe specializes in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, providing accurate, insightful information on seniors’ health, safety and well-being with the LISA smart-monitoring system.

The human element of innovation: When we first met David Landry, the founder of Living Safe, it wasn’t just the technical specifications that caught our attention – it was the mission. Driven by a personal family experience where a loved one was left on the floor without help after a fall, Landry developed a non-intrusive system to ensure no senior would ever face that isolation again.

The appeal for our clinical team was immediate: a system requiring no wearables – which residents with cognitive impairments often find distressing – and no cameras, preserving essential privacy. And by removing the “noise” of traditional alarms, we saw a path toward reducing “alarm fatigue,” a chronic issue that often delays staff response times.

Navigating the regulatory maze – A pivot to pragmatism: In the public healthcare sector, innovation is a tightrope walk. Our project gained initial momentum through a subsidy from the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec. However, the path to implementation was steeper than anticipated.

The introduction of Law 25 in Quebec, combined with evolving security and documentation requirements, transformed our initial goals. As the administrative and Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) processes lengthened, we faced a “loss of collaborators” along the way.

Rather than abandoning the project, we pivoted. We shifted from a formal research study to a pragmatic pilot deployment. This agility allowed us to move forward despite bureaucratic hurdles, focusing on operational feasibility and the “proof of concept” in a complex clinical environment.

Lessons from the ward – Hospital vs. long-term care: Our pilot targeted two environments: a standard hospital ward and a specialized long-term care (LTC) unit at the Centre d’hébergement Jean-De La Lande.

The hospital setting provided a harsh reality check. We encountered “environmental friction” including complex Wi-Fi certification and limits on simultaneous connections.

Physically, the hardware was challenged; patients frequently unplugged sensors to charge their own devices. Given the high turnover and constant need for new consents, we realized the hospital setting was too demanding for the pilot’s scope.

In contrast, the LTC facility’s wandering prosthetic unit became our success story. Under the leadership of manager Frank Tran and in collaboration with Anika Munn from Living Safe, we integrated LISA into the daily routine.

The stability of the team allowed us to map room configurations and successfully correlate “semi-falls” with tablet alerts at the nursing station.

The “LISA” moment: One incident solidified the technology’s value: an employee suddenly fainted while alone in a resident’s room. LISA immediately detected the collapse and alerted the team. This unexpected “save” of a staff member highlighted a secondary benefit: the system creates a safer environment for everyone in the unit.

From a clinical standpoint, the most significant achievement was the freedom of movement. By providing a reliable safety net, we encourage residents to walk freely, which is vital for preventing the physical and mental deconditioning that occurs when the elderly are kept sedentary out of a fear of falling.

Optimizing the clinical workflow: Beyond simple detection, the pilot allowed us to refine the communication loop between the AI and the bedside. When LISA identifies an event, the alert is routed directly to the nursing station’s tablet.

This immediacy is a game-changer; in traditional settings, a fallen resident might wait until the next routine check to be discovered.

By providing a real-time “window” into the room without violating privacy, the system allows staff to prioritize their movements. We observed that this led to a more serene environment; because the team felt “backed up” by the technology, the overall anxiety level regarding nocturnal falls began to decrease, allowing for more focused care during peak hours.

A vision for the future: Our trial proved that a “less is more” approach – no wearables and no visual surveillance – is the future of dignified care. As we move toward 2026, my wish is for the public sector to develop a “library” of clinician-validated devices ready for rapid deployment. By bridging the gap between informal innovation and public sector requirements, we have shown that technology, when applied with clinical insight, doesn’t replace the human touch, it protects it.

Beyond detection: The trial also hinted at the future of preventive medicine. LISA doesn’t just record falls; it captures the micro-movements and near-misses that often precede a serious injury.

In a wandering prosthetic unit, understanding where and how a resident loses their balance – whether it’s near the bed or in the bathroom – allows clinical teams to adjust the environment or the care plan before a fracture occurs. This transition from reactive to proactive monitoring is where the true potential of radar technology lies within the public sector.

Catherine Gauvin is a Senior Nursing Advisor, Clinical Information System, Nursing Direction – Professional Practices at CCSMTL – Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre.