Ochsner Health, Bold partner to reduce falls among seniors

For seniors, a fall could result in a serious injury that greatly impairs their daily life.

To combat this issue, New Orleans-based Ochsner Health and its innovation arm, innovationOchsner, have partnered with Bold, a digital exercise platform for adults over 50 that aims to reduce falls.

The platform is one of five interventions in the Ochsner Connected Stability pilot fall prevention and monitoring programs, which are focused on supporting Medicare Advantage members.

“The overarching goal [of the partnership] is to prevent future falls within this high fall-risk population of Ochsner Health members by delivering Bold’s science-based online exercise programs,” said Amanda Rees, co-founder and CEO of Bold, in an email. “Bold’s program is designed to improve balance, strength, and mobility — which are three key components to decreasing a person’s fall risk.”

The platform first completes an online assessment to pinpoint users’ current health and fitness levels. It then designs a personalized program for the user, which can include shorter, seated classes or longer, standing classes. Users also receive motivational check-ins as they participate in the program.

Medicare. Advantage members can use Bold’s tool from home, but to address loneliness, they are encouraged to join virtual live classes and other community events.

“Bold’s balance training program was a natural fit as one of multiple interventions in our comprehensive fall prevention and monitoring program as we work to prevent future falls,” said Dr.  Richard Milani, medical director for innovationOchsner and chief clinical transformation officer for Ochsner Health, in a news release.

Each year, 3 million seniors are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Over 800,000 are hospitalized annually due to a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture.

In addition, about $50 billion is spent every year on medical costs related to non-fatal fall injuries and $754 million is spent on fatal falls, the CDC stated.

“Bold and Ochsner Health both understand the impact of falls in a Medicare Advantage population, from both a cost and health outcomes perspective,” Bold’s Rees said.

In February, the company announced it had raised $7 million in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from existing investor Khosla Ventures, and new investors Primetime Partners and GingerBread Capital.

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