Abstract
BackgroundAs the demographic of older people continues to grow, health services that support independence among community-dwelling seniors have become increasingly important. Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) are medical alert systems, designed to serve as a safety net for seniors living alone. Health care professionals often recommend that seniors in danger of falls or other medical emergencies obtain a PERS. The purpose of the study was to investigate the experience of seniors living with and using a PERS in their daily lives, using a qualitative grounded theory approach.MethodsFive focus groups and 10 semi-structured interviews, with a total of 30 participants, were completed using a grounded theory approach. All participants were PERS subscribers over the age of 80, living alone in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) with high health service utilization in a major urban centre in Ontario. Constant comparative analysis was used to develop themes and ultimately a model of why and how seniors obtain and use the PERS.ResultsTwo core themes, unpredictability and decision-making around PERS activation, emerged as major features of the theoretical model. Being able to get help and the psychological value of PERS informed the context of living with a PERS.ConclusionsA number of theoretical conclusions related to unpredictability and the decision-making process around activating PERS were generated.
Highlights
As the demographic of older people continues to grow, health services that support independence among community-dwelling seniors have become increasingly important
Other populations who live at-risk were not included in the present study. This grounded theory study found a rich context of independent living for seniors over the age of 80, against a backdrop of unpredictability
Deciding to subscribe to a Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and living with the device were both influenced by the perceived risk or unpredictability of daily life of the individual in advanced age
Summary
As the demographic of older people continues to grow, health services that support independence among community-dwelling seniors have become increasingly important. Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) are medical alert systems, designed to serve as a safety net for seniors living alone. The purpose of the study was to investigate the experience of seniors living with and using a PERS in their daily lives, using a qualitative grounded theory approach As seniors age, they may face more obstacles to maintaining their independence. Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) are medical alert systems designed to aid individuals living alone in the community to summon help when emergency situations. A radio transmitter in the form of a button on the necklace or bracelet is pressed by the subscriber when in distress This activates a communicator attached to the user’s phone line which acts as a speakerphone between the senior and the emergency response centre. The system can be ordered by individuals for themselves, by family members, or by professionals for their clients/patients but the PERS is McKenna et al BMC Geriatrics (2015) 15:81 not considered a medical devise and is paid for by the subscriber
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