The Living-Lab Methodology for the Prevention of Falls in the Elderly.

The present work describes the initiative of the Centre Hospitalier de Valenciennes (CHV) and the Pole de Recherche et Innovation en Mobilite et Handicap (PRIMOH) which create a joined Living-Lab for the prevention of falls in the elderly. Local authorities, social services and networks, companies, local associations, elderly structures, researchers, health practitioners and elderly people have started cooperating within the Living-Lab in order to propose new health protocol, newtechnologies, newmethods to support the prevention of falls in the elderly population. This approach focuses on the real needs of the users, taking into account the experiences of each participant, professional or individual. Elderly people, physicians, nurses, helpers, services, experts discuss and share knowledge and feedbacks to improve the care associated with falling. The originality of the method is that users are involved from the very beginning of each project, they even decide which project the Living-Lab should carry out. The paper provides an overview of the methodology that was followed and describes the current projects centered on the reduction of fall in the elderly.