Quedas em idosos institucionalizados: identificando fatores de riscos

Abstract

The aging process often compromises the functional capacity, increasing the risk of decline with advancing age. Studies show a higher incidence of falls among institutionalized elderly, greatly jeopardizing their health status and their living conditions. This study aims to identify the risk factors of falls for elderly residents of a long-stay institution. This is a descriptive, exploratory study, contemplating a quantitative and qualitative approach. Will be conducted with older adults with greater than or equal to sixty years of age, of both sexes, living in a long-stay institution in the municipality of Joao Pessoa. Data will be collected considering the intrinsic causes of falls, health status and functional capacity of the elderly and extrinsic causes, the institutional environment where older people live. Therefore, the data records will be observed and evaluated the functional capacity of the elderly through the Katz Index and the Protocol of falls; as environmental assessment will be conducted through Form developed for this purpose which is based on NBR9050 and the Statute of Elderly. Of the 58 elderly participants of the survey, 46,6% were female and 53,4% are male. As to age, considering both sexes, there is a higher frequency of people between 81-85 years (27,6%). As to pathology was observed that a fourth of the elderly have diagnosis of Alzheimer's. In relation to falls 27,5% of the institution's elderly have suffered a fall. The internal and external environment of the institution was observed, measured and made some photographic records to identify factors which could become risks of falls. The functional capacity of the elderly was analyzed and the results show that 64,4% of the elderly are independent, 11,8% are addicts who need help of a caregiver to perform AVDs, 2,8% need not human help and 1,9% are total dependent. Expected to contribute to the security of the elderly, preventing falls and the risk of health problems.