Preventing and Managing Indoor Falls with Home-Based Technologies in Mild and Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Patients: Pilot Study in a Community Dwelling

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known to increase the risk of falls. We aim to determine the effectiveness of home-based technologies coupled with teleassistance service (HBTec-TS) in older people with AD. Methods: A study of falls and the HBTec-TS system (with a light path combined wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2013-09, Vol.36 (3-4), p.251-261
Main Authors: Tchalla, Achille E., Lachal, Florent, Cardinaud, Noëlle, Saulnier, Isabelle, Rialle, Vincent, Preux, Pierre-Marie, Dantoine, Thierry
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - complications
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiology. Vascular system
Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases
Endocardial and cardiac valvular diseases
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Frail Elderly
Heart
Home Care Services
Human health and pathology
Humans
Incidence
Life Sciences
Logistic Models
Male
Medical sciences
Neurology
Original Research Article
Physicians
Pilot Projects
Prospective Studies
Sample Size
Social Work
Technology
Telecommunications
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known to increase the risk of falls. We aim to determine the effectiveness of home-based technologies coupled with teleassistance service (HBTec-TS) in older people with AD. Methods: A study of falls and the HBTec-TS system (with a light path combined with a teleassistance service) was conducted in the community. The 96 subjects, drawn from a random population of frail elderly people registered as receiving an allocation for lost autonomy from the county, were aged 65 or more and had mild-to-moderate AD with 1 year of follow-up; 49 were in the intervention group and 47 in the control group. Results: A total of 16 (32.7%) elderly people fell in the group with HBTec-TS versus 30 (63.8%) in the group without HBTec-TS. The use of HBTec-TS was significantly associated with a reduction in the number of indoor falls among elderly people with mild-to-moderate AD (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.15-0.88, p = 0.0245). Conclusion: The use of the HBTec-TS significantly reduced the incidence of primary indoor falling needing GP intervention or attendance at an emergency room among elderly people with AD and mild-to-moderate dementia.
ISSN:1420-8008
1421-9824
DOI:10.1159/000351863