Prevalência de quedas em uma população de idosos asilados no Alto Sertão Paraibano.

Abstract

Population aging is a worldwide phenomenon, which has flocked in a more abrupt way in developing countries, with no improvements in living conditions, leading to a significant increase in the prevalence of chronic-degenerative diseases, due to morphofunctional and psychological changes, which predispose the occurrence of falls, consequently the dependency and the institutionalization, which have been the only alternative. Drops in the age group above 60 years, can be considered a serious public health problem due to its frequency, associated morbidities, and high social and economic cost. Most falls result from the interaction of factors related to the individual (intrinsic) which are caused by physiological changes of the aging and environmental factors (extrinsic) which are the social and environmental circumstances that challenge the elderly. The goal of this study was to describe the prevalence of falls in a population of institutionalized elderly in the high Paraiban inlands, characterize the elderly profile residents of Long-Term Institutions (LTIs) and identify factors that predispose the falls. Exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The population was 64 elderly assisted in the LTIs and the sample was 41 elderly living in the LTIs that operate on a permanent basis on the previous mentioned municipalities and the sampling technique was non-probabilistic intentional. Data collection was performed in four LTIs located in the cities of Cajazeiras and Sousa-PB, through a semi-structured poll script and the index scale of Katz Basic Activities of Daily Living - BADV for functional assessment. The data has been encrypted in the SPSS statistical package version 13.0 and then analyzed and confronted according to the pertinent literature. Data collection was initiated after approval of Ethics Committee in Research presenting the protocol N° 0434.0.133.000- 11. The research participants presented prevalence in the age group of 86 to 90 years (19,5%), female (58,5%), single (43,9%), family income equal to the minimum wage (97,6%), low level of education and the time of institutionalization ranged from 1 to 5 years (53,7%). It was identified that the prevalence of falls was high (43,9%), related to several risk factors, such as: chronic diseases, being the most prevalent arterial hypertension (44,8%), regular use of medications, being the most used anti-hypertensive (41,5%), low stairs (100%), slippery floor (100%)), among others. It has been identified Independence on the BADV in the institutionalized elderly. It is concluded that the prevalence of falls among elderly could be reduced with the planning of proper preventive measures, such as guidance on the use of appropriate footwear and clothing; awareness and training for caregivers of asylum institutions, installation of environmental safety measures, such as ramps, anti-slippery floors, handrails on stairs, adapted toilets, among others having as purpose to enable the control and prevention of falls in order to ensure good quality of life for institutionalized elderly.