Avaliação dos fatores de risco de quedas entre idosos de um centro de convivência

Abstract

With the increase in the elderly population, some factors are highlighted as important for healthy aging, including the assessment of fall risk. The consequences of falls lead older adults to seek medications, clinical examinations, and prolonged hospitalization time, thus increasing healthcare service costs. Consequently, older people tend to present more non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD). This study aims to evaluate fall risk factors among older adults from a social center. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with older individuals registered at the Lar Francisco de Assis Social Center (LFA), located in the municipality of Fortaleza/CE, Brazil. The institution registers 150 older adults annually. Individuals aged 60 years or older, registered at the institution and attending the location alone or accompanied by family members or caregivers, were included. The research instrument covered sociodemographic aspects, health conditions, and access to healthcare services. The instruments used in this research were: the Downton Fall Risk Index, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index (IVCF-20). Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0. The study included 103 older adults, with a mean age of 74.5 years. There was a predominance of females (90.3%); most participants did not have partners, had incomplete primary education, had a family income of up to one minimum wage, and lived alone. The most used healthcare service was the primary health care unit. The most prevalent comorbidity was arterial hypertension (71.8%), followed by diabetes mellitus (51.5%). The most commonly used medications were losartan and metformin. The respondents showed a high risk for falls (68.9%), a moderate degree of frailty (52.4%), and cognitive impairment with confusion (72 individuals; 69.9%). Fall risk was correlated with variables such as education level, polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), comorbidities, and frailty. Based on these findings, it is urgent that this population be monitored by a multidisciplinary team to ensure comprehensive care, better quality of life, and autonomy for these older adults.