Analysis of risk factors for falls in older adults

The aging process is an event in which various morphological and functional changes occur causing individuals to lose their abilities. A fall is defined as an unintentional displacement of the body to a level lower than the initial position and this event may be associated with intrinsic factors resulting from physiological changes associated with aging diseases and the effects of medications as well as extrinsic factors such as social and environmental circumstances. Therefore nurses play an important role in comprehensive care for the elderly offering guidance on fall prevention with an emphasis on adjustments in the home environment to prevent and reduce the likelihood of falls. Objective: To analyze the extrinsic factors related to the occurrence of falls in the elderly. An exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach was conducted in the homes of elderly people. The sample consisted of 86 elderly people. Final considerations: several action plans were identified to prevent falls in the elderly.