Abstract
In this study, a handy gait assessment system with a tri-axial accelerometer has been developed and its application for quantitatively assessing the gait of elderly people was examined. This assessment system consists of a portable acceleration monitor device and analytical software capable of running on a personal computer. The portable device was fixed low on the front of the hip of the subject, and the subject was asked to walk around a test course at a voluntary speed. The activities performed on the test course included standing up, normal walking, fast walking, and walking over a barrier. The gaits of 402 elderly people were measured three times at three-month intervals. The subjects were participating in nursing health services, such as day service, ex-stroke patients, rehabilitation, fall prevention training, and pool training. The measured acceleration was converted into relative velocity and relative displacement of the center of gravity of the subject. Four evaluation indices (i. e. physical activity, stability, symmetry, and average speed) were calculated. The results reveal that both the physical activity and average speed decreased after six months of participating in nursing services.
