Quedas em idosos: fatores preditores identificados por meio da Escala de Downton

Abstract

The objective of this research was to know the predictors of falls in elderly people living in the home, focusing on active and quality aging. An exploratory, descriptive study of a quantitative character. A structured interview was conducted regarding sociodemographic data. After the elderly people were evaluated through the Fall Risk Score of Downton. The data were collected in 2013 and 113 elderly people were interviewed, of which 97 were included in the survey. Most of the sample was composed of women. The average age was around 70 years. Of the 97 elderly people, 43 mentioned having suffered at least one fall in the past 12 months. Of the 56 who were at high risk for falls, 37.1% are women. It was noticed in this research that many of the risk factors can be avoided by preventing and identifying the lifestyle habits of the elderly, as well as changing their homes whenever possible. The data found allowed us to realize that, although the environment in which the elderly live presents a risk of falls, the intrinsic factors have a very significant part in the falls event.