RISK FACTORS FOR FALLS IN THE ELDERLY IN A DAY CARE CENTER (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Falls are a recurring problem in the elderly, with physical and psychological consequences for the elderly, the family and society.

Goals: 1-identify risk factors for the occurrence of falls in the elderly; 2- evaluate practices and behaviors to prevent falls in the elderly who attend a day care center.

Method: analytical cross-sectional observational study, carried out in a day care center in the metropolitan region of Lisbon to answer the question: What are the risk factors, practices and behaviors of the elderly living in the community to prevent falls? Approval by the Ethics Committee. Sample consisting of 13 elderly people who attend day care. A questionnaire was applied with: 1) sociodemographic characteristics, 2) degree of dependence in activities of daily living (Barthel Index), cognitive status (Mini Mental State Examination), 3) risk factors, 4) Morse Falls Scale and 5) Scale of practices and behaviors of the elderly in the prevention of falls.

Results: The elderly have a mean age of 80.92 years (SD= 6.96), are male (53.8%), with 4 years of schooling (84.6%), are widowed (69.2%) and live alone (61.5%). All have deficits in balance, have pathologies at the level of the cardiovascular system (92.3%) and musculoskeletal (69.2%), with moderate dependence with the same percentage (38.5% respectively), none of them have cognitive deficits. They have low risk and high risk of falling with the same percentage (38.5% respectively), independent. In communication practices and behaviors, 46.2% reported that doctors and nurses never warn them about the risk of falling. In Safety Practices and Behaviors, 38.5% do not check if the bathroom floor is slippery before using it. However, they have safety practices in the management of the surrounding space [(choice of the best preventive measures (53.8%), organization of the room space for travel (84.6%) and removal of obstacles from the bedroom and hallway (69.2%)] to prevent falls.

Conclusions: The study revealed several risk factors for the occurrence of falls in the elderly (advanced age, sensory deficit, balance deficit, pathology and medication). In practices and behaviors for communication, there is a deficit on the part of health professionals to inform about the risk of falling, while in the practices of safety behaviors of the elderly, there is a deficit in the prior observation of the state of the floor in safety practices in the space where move. The data underscore the importance of a multiprofessional, community-based intervention to train the elderly in behaviors that prevent the risk of falling.