TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Exploring patterns of personal alarm system use and impacts on outcomes
JO  - Australasian journal on ageing
A1  - Andrew, Nadine E.
A1  - Wang, Yun
A1  - Teo, Ken
A1  - Callisaya, Michele L.
A1  - Moran, Christopher
A1  - Snowdon, David A.
A1  - Ellmers, Sonya
A1  - Beare, Richard
A1  - Richardson, Dean
A1  - Srikanth, Velandai
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the patterns of personal emergency response systems (PERS) use in a statewide cohort of older Australians. <br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br>CONCLUSION: We demonstrated recurring patterns associated with the reasons for alarm use.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1440-6381
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12941
ID  - ref1
ER  -