Pathways Director to Speak at Aging 2.0 Expo

Pathways Director of Rehabilitation Services Renetta Henault will speak this week about a unique collaboration that Pathways has with Walk Joy—a new tool aimed at improving the lives of seniors through technology. Henault is speaking at the Aging 2.0 AgeTech Expo in San Francisco on November 19.

Walk Joy consists of bands worn just below the kneecap that capture data about stride and gait that can tell us about the risk of falls for the wearer. Walk Joy’s objective data helps when submitting justification for a treatment plan. It also highlights the problems physical therapy should address.

Henault is convinced of the effectiveness of Walk Joy and cites the case of a 72 year old with a terrible waddling gait who, despite a walker, kept ramming his shoulder in the doorway—a shoulder that had recently been replaced.

“The patient agreed to try Walk Joy and once he saw the graph and data it produced he really engaged in his plan of care,” said Henault. “He became more compliant with this therapy exercises and often requested to be retested to assess his progress.” At every visit the patient would ask Henault how his walking had improved. “He was able to reduce his fall risk from very high to moderate by the time of discharge,” added Henault.

The two-day Expo, Nov. 18 and 19, features Henault and several entrepreneurs, technologists, designers, and long-term care providers that fast-track development of creative solutions for the elderly. Pathways, with our affiliate El Camino Hospital, has joined Aging2.0, a global innovation network—sort of a “start-up accelerator”—with a mission to speed up innovations for improving the lives of older people.

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About Pathways Home Health & Hospice

Pathways, a Bay Area not-for-profit, has been a pioneer in home health, hospice, and palliative care since 1977. With offices in Sunnyvale, South San Francisco, and Oakland, Pathways serves more than 5,000 families annually in five Bay Area counties. Pathways cares for patients wherever they live—at home, in nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living communities.

Affiliated with El Camino Hospital and Sequoia Hospital since 1986, Pathways is accredited by The ACHC and is a member of the Visiting Nurses Association of America, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association, and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. Pathways was a 2015 recipient of the Pilot Pioneer Award by Aging2.0, a worldwide “start-up accelerator” with a mission to fast-track innovations for improving the lives of older people, at their Global Innovation Summit. Pathways has been a HomeCare Elite top home health agencies award winner for the past four years.

For more information about Pathways call 888-755-7855 or visit www.pathwayshealth.org.