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Gerokomos
Print version ISSN 1134-928X
Abstract
PETRONILA GOMEZ, Laura; ARAGON CHICHARRO, Sara and CALVO MORCUENDE, Belén. Falls in institutionalized elderly: valuation of the risk, related factors and description. Gerokomos [online]. 2017, vol.28, n.1, pp.2-8. ISSN 1134-928X.
Introduction:
The falls are a fragility factor in the elderly population and one of the great geriatric syndromes. These have a great prevalence. The falls are an important global public health problem.
Aim:
to know the prevalence and characteristics of the falls happened in the old people from a public old people’s home from Toledo, during 2015.
Methodology:
Descriptive, transversal, retrospective study. The population studied were old people ≥ 65 years old who were institutionalized in a public old people’s home from Toledo.
Variables collected were: age, sex, valuation of the falls risk, mobility, functionality, cognitive condition, polymedication and associate pathologies. The information was collected in January (2016), and it was analyzed by SPSS 11.0 program.
Results:
37,04% of the sample (108 elders) had falls, predominating over the feminine sex. 55% of the falls was only; the rest was repetition falls. They predominated over the falls happened in the morning, in the room, produced by loss of balance and that they didn’t cause apparent hurts. A significantly statistical relation was observed between the falls and the cognitive condition; but not between falls and: the polymedication, the functionality and the mobility. Very different trends were observed between fallen elders and elders without falls.
Conclusions:
There was demonstrated that a high proportion of institutionalized elders suffered falls. The Downton scale got most specificity than Tinetti scale. It is need to realize a geriatric integral valuation to the revenue of the resident who contemplates the valuation of the risk of falls; establishing after, interventions adapted to the needs of the group in general and of every elder especially.
Keywords : aged; institutionalization; accidental falls; prevalence; active methodology; case method.