Sensory technology devices in preventing falls in older adults

Abstract

Falls in older adults are a major concern and a challenge for healthcare systems, due to increase in costs and burden, since these can lead to injury which can be minor, however, occasionally hospital admission is necessary and they can also cause death. It was found that 40% of older individuals admitted to care homes are related to falls, additionally, it is also acknowledged that 50% of falls also occur in care facilities. The objective of the current investigation was to determine whether the use of sensory technology alarms is effective in preventing falls in an intramural care setting. The PICO question “Are sensory technology devices more effective than standard care in preventing falls in older adults?” was developed and studies comparing individuals using sensory alarms and standard care were analysed. To ensure that relevant articles on the interventions being compared were selected, and to minimize selection bias, an inclusion and exclusion criteria guided by the PICO question was developed, with older adults over sixty as one of the inclusion and living in the community as an exclusion. Using the University of Malta e-library portal a methodological search ensued and with relevant keywords utilized in various combination, the search finally generated 2 Systematic Reviews, 2 Randomized Control Trials and 2 Quasi-Experimental Studies which were deemed significant for the investigation. Appraisal for quality was conducted using the AMSTAR 2 tool for Systematic Reviews, the CASP tool for the Randomized Control Trials and the JBI Critical Appraisal checklist for the quasiexperimental study. The findings revealed that there was no statistical difference in fall reduction when sensory technology alarms were used compared to when standard care was delivered. This investigation showed that more robust evidence with rigorous methodology is warranted since sensory alarms give a sense of false security to both the older adults and caregivers, and are ineffective when used on their own. Additionally, the local context was deliberated and recommendations for practice, education, management and further research were identified, such as using sensory alarms as part of a multifactorial program, falls risk assessment on admission, continuous education on assessment and others.