Project «Help Button. Prevention of Falls in Single Elderly Residents in the Nizhny Novgorod Region in 2023–2024». Risk Factors for Falls and Main Geriatric Syndromes in Project Participants. Preliminary Results

BACKGROUND. Falls are considered to be one of the most common causes of injuries and fatal accidents due them among elderly people. Falls can be especially dangerous for elderly people who live alone. The analysis of  the risk factors of  falls and geriatric status of  lonely senior citizens gives an  opportunity to  estimate the possibility of application of modern technical devices contributing to manage the risks of falls and to improve the quality of rendering assistance to the mentioned category of patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the risk factors of falls and to study certain indicators of geriatric status in elderly and senile people living alone who happen to be participants of the project called «Emergency button. Prevention of falls in elderly people living alone in the Nizhny Novgorod region».

MATERIALS AND METHODS. Smart watches for elderly people, the capabilities of which allow patients to press a button on the side panel and make a phone call to a relative (or a social worker) were purchased with grant funds. During the project implementation, 100 elderly individuals living alone and 51 high-risk patients (average age 75 ± 9.5 years) were provided with smart watches, and risk factors for the syndrome were studied in  them through basic and instrumental daily activity.

RESULTS. Taking into consideration the elderly individuals living alone and participating in the project included in the study, it was found that the most common risk factors for falls were: previous history of falls, fear of falling, abnormal gait, urinary incontinence, and others. Furthermore, a high prevalence of decline in instrumental and basic activities was observed.

CONCLUSION. Elderly individuals living alone with a high risk of  falls who were included in  the study often exhibit dependence on  external assistance and multiple factors contributing to  falls. This situation justifies the use of smartwatches with emergency call buttons (as confirmed by actual use by project participants) and highlights challenges in  their use, as well as  the need for monitoring by relatives or social workers to ensure proper application of the technology.

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