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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Inability to get up after falling, subsequent time on floor, and summoning help
— prospective cohort study in people over 90 | | Author(s) | Jane Fleming, Carol Brayne |
| Corporate Author | Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C) |
| Journal title | British Medical Journal, vol 337, no 7681, 29 November 2008 |
| Pages | pp 1279-1282 |
| Source | www.bmj.com |
| Keywords | Falls ; Injuries ; Alarm systems ; Attitude ; Nonagenarians ; Longitudinal surveys ; Cambridge. |
| Annotation | Being unable to get up and therefore lying on the floor for a long time are prevalent after falls in men and women over 90, and this study describes the incidence and extent, also the use of call alarm systems in these circumstances. 90 women and 20 men aged over 90, surviving participants of the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort (CC75C), were followed up for one year regarding the immediate consequences of any falls. 54% (144/265) of fall reports described the participants as being found on the floor, and 82% (217/265) of falls occurred when the person was alone. Of the 60% who fell, 80% (53/66) were unable to get up after at least one fall, and 30% (20/66) had lain on the floor for an hour or more. Difficulty in getting up was consistently associated with age, reported mobility, and severe cognitive impairment. Cognition was the only characteristic that predicted lying on the floor for a long time. Lying on the floor for a long time was strongly associated with serious injuries, admission to hospital, and subsequent moves into long-term care. Call alarms were widely available, but were not used in most cases of falls that led to lying on the floor for a long time. Comments from older people and carers showed the complexity of issues around the use of call alarms, including perceptions of irrelevance, concerns about independence, and practical difficulties. Lying on the floor for a long time after falling is more common among the "oldest old" than previously thought, and is associated with serious consequences. Factors indicating higher risk and comments from participants suggest practical solutions are needed on training in strategies to get up form the floor; and access and activation issues in design of call alarms and information on their effective use. Care providers need better understanding of the perceptions of older people to provide acceptable support services. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-090113204 A |
| Classmark | OLF: CU: OV: DP: BBR: 3J: 8CF * |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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