Re - sole - ute
supportive, no slip, hospital shoes
Footwear for the 85+ demographic to help prevent falls during hospitalization.
PATIENT SUPPORT
Footwear for the 85+ demographic to prevent falls during hospitalization.
THE GROWTH OF THE 85+ DEMOGRAPHIC
In the U.S. the 85 and older population is the fastest growing group in the country and
is projected to rise from 5.8 million today to 19 million in 2050.
2%
OF THE U.S. POPULATION
67%
ARE FEMALE
75%
ARE CHRONICALLY ILL
42%
HAVE SUSTAINED A FALL
The risk of falling and sustaining an injury increases with age.
Being a woman increases those chances by 40%.
WHAT CAUSES FALLING?
Most falls are caused by the interaction of multiple risk factors.
The more risk factors a person has, the higher the likelihood of them sustaining a fall.
ADVANCE
AGE
COGNITIVE
IMPAIRMENT
MUSCLE
WEAKNESS
INACTIVITY
ISOLATION
VISION
IMPAIRMENT
ENVIRONMENTHAZARDS
POOR GAIT & BALANCE
IMPROPER FOOTWEAR
USE OF MEDICATIONS
MEDICAL
CONDITIONS
IMPROPER FOOTWEAR
Inappropriate footwear can cause loss of balance and bad gait and increase the risk of falling.
46%
TOO WIDE OR SOFT
"Wearing something tat is comfortable
on the feet and not putting too much
pressure on points that might be sore."
70%
NO FASTENERS
"A shoe that I can put on and take off
easily...because putting on shoes and
taking off shoes is also quite a problem for me."
50%
NO STRUCTURE
"Yeah, I tried several shoes.
I can't wear heavy ones,
I have to wear the light ones."
40%
NO TRACTION
37%
NO SUPPORT
"I'm very limited.
I can hardly get my feet
into anything..."
"I tried wearing the gripper socks but did
not like them as they gave the foot no support
and make you feel uneasy on the feet."
THE IMPORTANCE OF WALKING
Ambulation is the post operative care of implementing light activity as soon as possible after surgery.
PHYSIOLOGICAL & PSYCOLOGICAL EFFECTS
INCREASES
CIRCULATION
Elevates oxygen blood
concentrations
NORMALIZES
RESPIRATION
Reduces risk of developing
pneumonia
ACTIVATES
MUSCLES
Prevents atrophy of the
muscles from inactivity
ENHANCES
MOOD
Boost confidence and feelings of independence
FUNCTIONS
REGULARIZE
Kidney and intestine functions return to normal
WITH ALL THESE BENEFITS, WHY DOES TREATMENT DIFFER FOR 85+ SET?
HIGH
RISK
That these patients
will fall again
INSURANCE
RESTRICTIONS
Medicare penalizes for
preventable problems
STAFF
SIZE
Limited staff to accomp-any high risk patients
LEGAL
CONCERNS
Fear of legal action
should a fall happen
HEALTH
DECLINES
80% of hospitalization
spend in bed
RE-SOLE-UTE
Providing patients recovering from surgery with proper footwear to gain confidence, stability and prevent falls.
RESOLVED TO IMPROVE RECOVERY
DESIRABLE OUTCOMES
Faster wound healing
Reduces risk of blood clots
Earlier discharge
Maintain muscle mass/strength
Speedier recovery
FEATURES and BENEFITS
FOOTWEAR TO ENCOURAGE WALKING
PROTECTIVE UPPER
MODERN AESTHETIC
SUPPORTIVE
EASY TO PUT ON
NOT SLIP TRACTION
Structured shell and toe box protection to shield sore, swollen
feet from abrasions and trauma.
A futuristic "slipper", combining the comfort of a slipper and
performance of a trainer.
Firm, but flexible support at the
arch and ankle for better
alignment and stability
Open back for easy foot entry, featuring closures that might require one hand and limited dexterity.
Wide base featuring a non skid pattern to prevent slipping on slick linoleum hospital floors.
INSPIRATION
Developing a fresh, elevated, optimistic & energetic aesthetic that removes this product from the realm of medical equipment
PRODUCT STRATEGY
The product will combine 3 components: an interior sock to wear when in bed or moving about the hospital room, an upper shell to slip over the sock during rehabilitation exercises and a non-slip tread outsole.
FIRST PROTOTYPE
This version of the compression sock had too many traps. Too tricky and not easy to fasten.
SECOND PROTOTYPE
Reconfigured closure to be one piece . Did not provide enough support.
PROTOTYPING & PROCESS
FINAL RENDERINGS
SKETCHES
TECHNICAL SKETCHES
CAD RENDERINGS
RE-SOLE-UTE
A compression, sock combination for hospitals to purchase for high risk patents to encourage walking during their
hospitalization to reduce the risk of falls.
