1. Exploring patterns of personal alarm system use and impacts on outcomes.
- Author
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Andrew NE, Wang Y, Teo K, Callisaya ML, Moran C, Snowdon DA, Ellmers S, Beare R, Richardson D, and Srikanth V
- Subjects
- Aged, 80 and over, Australia, Cohort Studies, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Accidental Falls, Ambulances
- Abstract
Objectives: To describe the patterns of personal emergency response systems (PERS) use in a statewide cohort of older Australians., Methods: PERS data from clients enrolled in the Personal Alarm Victoria program between January 2014 and June 2017 were analysed. Alarm activation reasons were extracted, and a medical record audit was performed for a sub-cohort of patients admitted to a local hospital following an alarm event. Descriptive statistics were used., Results: There were 42,180 clients enrolled during the study (mean age 80 years, 80% female, 93% living alone). An ambulance attended 44% of the fall-related events and 81% of events coded as unwell. Activation reasons were distributed equally between a fall and feeling unwell, and a repeating pattern of activation reasons was observed. In our sub-cohort (n = 92), the majority of admissions (86%) followed an alarm activation coded as unwell., Conclusion: We demonstrated recurring patterns associated with the reasons for alarm use., (© 2021 AJA Inc.)
- Published
- 2021
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