BACKGROUND: The long term impacts of experiencing a 'long lie' following a fall in the older person are poorly understood. This systematic review explored the impact of a long lie fall on physical and clinical outcomes in older people requiring an ambulance.
METHODS: PRISMA guidelines were followed.
RESULTS: 70 studies were identified. Nine studies were suitable for full review. Four studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included. The Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) assessed the quality of all included studies. Three studies reported on people aged 65 years and older. One study reported on people aged over 90 years. Personal alarm use was examined in two studies. One study explored patient characteristics of people confirmed to have fallen by paramedics at the scene. One study examined re-contact and characteristics of fallers referred to a falls prevention service.
DISCUSSION: Cognitive impairment and long lie were a caveat for falls and repeated falls. Personal alarm use was infrequent, suggesting a need for supporting the older patient in appropriate alarm use and exploration of newer technologies to alleviate their need. Future research should focus on interventions for wearable, smart and e-technology for automatic fall detection and qualitative exploration of the lived experience.
Language: en
Keywords
Falls; Elderly; Ambulance response; Fall detection technology; Lived experience; Long lie; Patient experience