Service users' experiences with mobile safety alarms in home care: A qualitative study.
Elise Flakk Nordang, Kristin Halvorsen
PMID 35437942WHAT IT FOUND
Ten home care users described a mobile safety alarm as giving them the confidence to be alone and go outside, but not as a replacement for human contact.
Guidance on its use varied widely. Some found the device too bulky, uncomfortable or fragile to carry.
Key findings
01The main benefit was feeling safe to be alone and to go outdoors, which increased independence; most participants did not change their overall level of activity.
02The alarm did not replace human contact. Participants living alone described a need for regular visits and social interaction, and one said home care should do more than provide an alarm.
03Practical problems limited use: some found the device bulky or uncomfortable around the neck, the clip was too fragile to hold it on clothing, and the battery needed frequent charging.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only ten participants, all from one municipality in eastern Norway, so the authors state that generalisation is not possible. The interview questions were never tried out on patients first, because recruitment difficulties prevented a pilot test. Interviews were conducted in Norwegian and translated into English, although both authors checked the quotations afterwards. One participant declined recording, so his or her contribution came from the interviewer's notes rather than a transcript. The sample included only people who speak fluent Norwegian and could consent, which may exclude those with communication or cognitive difficulties who might struggle most with an alarm.
Declared interests
The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. The study formed part of the first author's Master of Science.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that mobile safety alarms increase activity or reduce falls. The study reports what ten people said about their experience, and most described their activity level as unchanged from before they received the alarm. The authors also note that the alarm did not remove the fear of falling in the most functionally limited participants.