Risco de queda em idosos com doença de Alzheimer institucionalizados

• Main Authors: Lucas Lima Ferreira, Giliadi Gadiel Américo Sanches, Laís Passos Marcondes, Paulo César Balade Saad
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Universidade Nove de Julho 2013-01-01
• Series: ConScientiae Saúde
• Online Access: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=92928535005

Introduction: Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have differences in gait and balance, according to the stage of the disease, which may predispose them to falls. Objective: To evaluate the impact of AD on the risk of falls in elderly residents in a long-stay institution. Methods: We evaluated 20 patients of both sexes, with AD and evaluated the sociodemographic profile, the gait and balance through the Tinetti scale. Results: It was found that the majority of seniors (75%) were female with a mean age of 77.8 ± 10.3 years and duration of institutionaliza - tion of 2.4 ± 1.7 years. A high risk (70%) for falls was found in elderly patients with AD; furthermore, the greater the age, the higher the risk. Conclusion: This study revealed a high risk for falls in institutionalized elderly individuals and that this risk was correlated with more advanced age, equal to or greater than 80 years.