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frailty
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overview
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Dr. Huisingh-Scheetz is a Geriatrician with a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and a longstanding interest in exploring the role of technology in understanding and managing frailty in older adults. Her work focuses on two primary areas of technology: wearable sensors and smart voice interfaces. She investigates how accelerometry-based mobility patterns correlate with frailty and aging biomarkers, and whether these devices can enhance the assessment and understanding of frailty.
Dr. Huisingh-Scheetz applies and analyzes accelerometry data to assess and track activity patterns, using them both as indicators of frailty and to guide activity-based interventions. Her research incorporates data from large national studies such as the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), in addition to longitudinal, primary accelerometry and frailty data she collects from predominantly African-American older adults at the University of Chicago South Shore Senior Center.
Clinically, Dr. Huisingh-Scheetz founded the Successful Aging and Frailty Evaluation™ (SAFE) Clinic in 2011, a novel frailty evaluation clinic where she assesses and manages frailty in referred patients and provides support to their caregivers. Her hands-on experience in the clinic has shaped her practical understanding of the value and ongoing challenges of frailty measurement in real-world clinical settings. The SAFE Clinic also serves as a recruitment hub for frail older adults participating in various collaborative research initiatives.
Driven by her clinical insights, Dr. Huisingh-Scheetz co-developed EngAGE, an innovative, technology-based program that uses smart voice platforms (e.g., Alexa) to deliver long-term mobility and socialization support to older adults while empowering their caregivers. This project was developed in partnership with Orbita, Inc., reflecting her commitment to integrating technology with geriatric care to improve health outcomes and quality of life for aging populations.
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