scholarly journals Use of personal call alarms among community-dwelling older people

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAMUEL R. NYMAN ◽  
CHRISTINA R. VICTOR
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Community Dwelling Older People ◽  
Serious Injury

ABSTRACTHaving a fall and then lying on the floor for an hour or more is known as a ‘long lie’, which is associated with serious injury and an elevated risk of admission to hospital, long-term care and death. Personal call alarms are designed to prevent long lies, although little is known about their use. Using cross-sectional data from the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing, this study investigated the proportion of self-reported users of personal call alarms among 3,091 community-dwelling adults aged 65+ who reported difficulties of mobility or activities of daily living. The characteristics of users were then explored through logistic regressions comparing those living alone with those living with others. One hundred and eighty people self-reported using a personal call alarm (6%). Multivariate regression found the following to significantly predict personal call alarm use among both those living alone and with others: greater difficulty with activities/instrumental activities of daily living, older age, and for those living with others only: lower score on the quality of life subscale for control. Personal call alarm use may be markedly lower than the 30 per cent annual incidence of falls among community-dwelling older people. Better understanding is needed of the reasons for low usage, even amongst those at highest falls risk for whom such alarms are most likely to be beneficial.

scholarly journals Independence and Caregiver Preferences Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Slovenia: A Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 004695801986915
Author(s):  
Katarina Galof ◽  
Anja Žnidaršič ◽  
Zvone Balantič
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Term Care ◽  
At Home

Although Slovenia is becoming an aging society, very little is known about the abilities and needs of home-dwelling older people or their preferences regarding assistance. The aim of the study was to explore the need for assistance in daily activities among older Slovenian people living at home. Older adults aged between 65 and 97 years (N = 358) participated in the cross-sectional survey study. A questionnaire that assessed independence in daily activities and assistance in the home environment was developed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a nonparametric test (Wilcoxon signed rank test), and the chi-square test. The results showed that older Slovenians were more independent in activities of daily living (ADLs) than instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Independence was the highest for using the toilet, feeding, and mobility transfers, and the lowest for bathing. With IADLs, assistance was most often required with shopping and housework; this assistance was usually provided by family members. The provider of assistance was generally compatible with older people’s preferences concerning assistance at home. We found no differences in care preferences between urban and rural settings. Assistance in the home environment was predominantly provided by unpaid helpers, which reflects recent developments in health and social services that put an emphasis on a person’s social network. Due to demographic changes and the decrease in the number of adult children, reliance on close relatives might soon become a challenge. These findings can help policy makers understand older people’s choices and preferences better when planning long-term care.

Determinants of Long-Term Care Needs of Community-Dwelling Older People in Singapore

2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2453-2454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiou-Liang Wee ◽  
Ye Li ◽  
Yan Sun ◽  
Ying-Xian Chua
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Community Dwelling Older People

scholarly journals Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Falls among Rural Community-Dwelling Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study from Southern Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirmala Gamage ◽  
Nirmala Rathnayake ◽  
Gayani Alwis
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Older People ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Recurrent Falls ◽  
Community Dwelling Older People ◽  
Associated Risk Factors

Falls may cause devastating consequences in older people. Conducting surveys on falls and factors associated with falls will inform better preventive health practices among older people to improve their quality of life. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of falls and recurrent falls among rural community-dwelling older people in Southern Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Nagoda Divisional Secretariat area, Galle, with 300 participants (females=175) aged 65 years and above. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. To assess the prevalence of falls, participants were asked if they had fallen in the past year, and if so how many times. If any individual reported two or more falls, it was considered a recurrent fall. Biological, behavioral, environmental, and socioeconomic factors were documented as potential risk factors for falls. Multivariate logistic regression was performed with adjusted Odds Ratio (OR). Mean (SD) age was 73 (6.7) years. The prevalence of falls and recurrent falls were reported as 34.3% (95%CI; 29.03-40.04) (n=103) and 9.6% (95%CI; 6.68-13.73) (n=29), respectively. Out of 103 fallers, 37 (35.9%) had sustained injuries, with 40.5% affecting the wrist and 24.3% the hip. The associated factors for falls were age (OR=0.1), gender (OR=3.0), diabetes mellitus (OR=2.7), balance or gait problems (OR=4.2), use of antihypertensive medication (OR=0.2), and use of at least one long-term medication (OR=3.5). Associated factors for recurrent falls were age (OR=0.3), hypertension (OR=3.7), balance or gait problems (OR=3.8), sleep disturbances (OR=2.0), use of antihypertensive medication (OR=0.1), and use of at least one long-term medication (OR=3.4). A high prevalence of falls and low prevalence of recurrent falls among older people were observed. Biological and behavioral factors were reported as associated risk factors. This information is important to inform strategies to prevent falls in older people in Sri Lanka.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Orthostatic Hypotension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor I’zzati Saedon ◽  
Maw Pin Tan ◽  
James Frith
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Orthostatic Hypotension ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Community Dwelling Older People

Abstract Background Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is associated with increased risk of falls, cognitive impairment and death, as well as a reduced quality of life. Although it is presumed to be common in older people, estimates of its prevalence vary widely. This study aims to address this by pooling the results of epidemiological studies. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and ProQuest were searched. Studies were included if participants were more than 60 years, were set within the community or within long-term care and diagnosis was based on a postural drop in systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥20 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥10 mmHg. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Random and quality effects models were used for pooled analysis. Results Of 23,090 identified records, 20 studies were included for community-dwelling older people (n = 24,967) and six were included for older people in long-term settings (n = 2,694). There was substantial variation in methods used to identify OH with differing supine rest duration, frequency and timing of standing BP, measurement device, use of standing and tilt-tables and interpretation of the diagnostic drop in BP. The pooled prevalence of OH in community-dwelling older people was 22.2% (95% CI = 17, 28) and 23.9% (95% CI = 18.2, 30.1) in long-term settings. There was significant heterogeneity in both pooled results (I2 > 90%). Conclusions OH is very common, affecting one in five community-dwelling older people and almost one in four older people in long-term care. There is great variability in methods used to identify OH.

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