A vulnerabilidade do idoso para quedas: a importância de orientações e conduta em unidade saúde da família

Abstract

This study is a literature review, which aims to highlight the importance of information giving and care to elderly leaning to falls by a multidisciplinary team, in the Family Health Unit. It covers the main causes and health damages related to these events among the elderly, and current approaches and interventions. It was conducted a literature review in the Virtual Health Library, Lilacs, SciELO and Ministry of Health by using the keywords: aging, elderly health, falls in the elderly; falls in the elderly and primary care, elderly and primary care. Were also used relevant books and articles found by other means and known by the author. Aging is a complex and real phenomenon to society, which is facing an intense growth of the elderly population. Refers to changes that occur in the last years of life, interfering in the functionality and reducing the autonomy and survival mechanism. With all the changes in this process, several consequences for elderly health and their physical integrity are identified, and falls are one of them.These events occur due to intrinsic or extrinsic factors, leading to serious complications and becoming an important personal and social problem due the high costs to health services in the country. Regardless of the severity of the injury after falling, the consequences can be devastating and may lead to disability, injury and even death. Falls in the elderly have become a public health problem, since this growing part of the population presents a combination of factors related to their occurrence. This reality shows the importance of adopting preventive and curative measures, individual and collective, in a multidisciplinary way, to promote the elderly health. The Primary Care team must always be aware to elderly well-being, functionality and independence, seeking a better assistance to the senescence injuries.