Risk of falls and associated factors in institutionalized elderly

Abstract

Objective: to identify the factors associated with the risk of falls in institutionalized elderly. Methods: analytical study carried out in two long-stay institutions for the elderly, with 61 residents of both sexes. Data collection was performed by means of a socio-demographic and clinical form and Downton’s Fall Risk Index. Results: 31 (50.8%) old people at high risk of falling were identified. There was an association of risk for falls in institutionalized elderly with gender (p=0.007), age (p=0.004), time of institutionalization (p=0.028), adverse events (p=0.000), use (p=0.035) and number of drugs (p=0.038), use of auxiliary equipment (p=0.022), type of walking (p=0.044) and history of falls in the last 12 months (p=0.000) Conclusion: it is recognized as essential to identify factors associated with the occurrence of falls for the prioritization of specific interventions aimed at institutionalized elderly.