Supported projects

GERO Kompetenzzenter fir den Alter

Raising awareness and preventing falls in elderly people: the FLUX project

Portrait of Martine Hoffmann from GERO Kompetenzzenter fir den Alter.

©Gilles Kayser

Martine Hoffmann, manager of geroRESEARCH.

  • Focus area Sports & Health
  • Period 2023

Luxembourg faces a major challenge: preventing falls among the elderly. With one of the highest incidence rates of falls in Europe, it is imperative to take action. It is in this context that the FLUX project is born, with the mission of raising awareness and actively engaging people over 50 years old in the risks of falls and their prevention.

FLUX aims to improve the quality of life and independence of elderly people while contributing to scientific advances in the field of fall prevention.

portrait de Martine Hoffmann de GERO Kompetenzzenter fir den Alter
Martine Hoffmann GERO Kompetenzzenter fir den Alter

The idea of FLUX stems from an alarming reality: one in three people over the age of 65 falls at least once a year. In the face of this observation, it becomes evident that falls represent a serious threat to the autonomy and quality of life of elderly people. Martine Hoffmann emphasizes: "We must act urgently and innovatively to meet this challenge."  "We must act urgently and innovatively to address this challenge."

FLUX unfolds through a series of three interactive workshops. The first one provides a comprehensive assessment of the risk of falling, taking into account visual, cognitive, and motor functions, as well as psychological factors. The second one uses SKILLCOURT® technology to test the participants' abilities through combined exercises. Finally, the third one offers practical recommendations to reduce the risk of falling.

Mat with letters and shapes, with a person's feet visible on it.

©Gilles Kayser

Person doing motor skills exercises with the help of an instructor. The exercise is shown on a television screen.

©Gilles Kayser

The FLUX project aims to raise awareness and prevent falls in elderly people.

Person doing motor skills exercises

©Gilles Kayser

Thanks to a smooth and efficient collaboration with LUNEX and the University of Luxembourg as project partners, we have made successful progress. More than 180 participants attended the first workshops, demonstrating the high level of commitment.

portrait de Martine Hoffmann de GERO Kompetenzzenter fir den Alter
Martine Hoffmann

Although the project has progressed without major obstacles, a few minor incidents have disrupted the planning of the workshops. Martine Hoffmann explains: "We had to deal with technical issues with the computer testing systems, but we were able to adapt thanks to our flexibility and resilience."

What makes FLUX so enriching is the collaboration between participants, students, and researchers. Martine Hoffmann shares a meaningful moment: "Seeing smiling faces after a workshop is a reward in itself."

The project is not yet finished, but the first results are promising. Martine Hoffmann reveals GERO's ambitions: "In the long term, we want to generalize these workshops and share our knowledge with the general public."

Person doing motor skills exercises with the help of a television screen.

©Gilles Kayser

Martine Hoffmann expresses her gratitude to all the people who contributed to the project. "Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to advance fall prevention. A big thank you to Œuvre Nationale for its valuable financial support."

FLUX embodies the hope of a future in which falls among the elderly will be considerably reduced.

Discover more

Partager sur