Assessment tools of risk for falls in elderly dwelling in the community

Authors

  • Luís Manuel Mota Sousa Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Polo Hospital Curry Cabral. Universidade Atlântica Conselho de Enfermagem da Ordem dos enfermeiros (Mandato 2012-2015)
  • Cristina Maria Alves Marques-Vieira Instituto Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
  • Maria Nilza Guimarães Nogueira de Caldevilla Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto (ESEP).
  • Cristina Maria Alves Dias Henriques Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo. Lisboa
  • Sandy Silva Pedro Severino Hospital Curry Cabral, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central EPE, Lisboa.
  • Sílvia Caldeira Instituto Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.15.2.230251
Keywords: Accidental Fall, Risk Factors, Risk Assessment, Aged

Supporting Agencies

  • Ordem Enfermeiros

Abstract

Falls and risk of falls increase with age and with the level of frailty associated with aging, hence the risk of falls is a phenomenon of interest to nurses. In Portugal, the Directorate-General of Health recommends evaluation tests for mobility, physical and functional fitness.

Objective: Identify the tests and the assessment tools used to assess the fall risk in the elderly who dwell in the community.

Method: Systematic Literature Review that was based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute on PICo strategy and based on PRISMA. The PICo strategy defined the inclusion criteria: Population (P) - the elderly; Interest Area / Intervention (I) - instruments and tests for assessing the risk of falls and; and Context (Co) -live in the community. The electronic search was conducted in EBSCOHost® CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE Complete, using the search terms fall*, community dwelling, fall risk factors, tools and scale.

Results: A sample of 24 studies was selected. Six scales for the assessment of the risk of fall were identified, three scales for the assessment fear of fall and seven tests for the assessment of risk factors that may be predictive of the risk of falls in the elderly living in the community.
Conclusions: The results highlight that there are several tools and tests and the importance of using valid, reliable and sensitive instruments by nurses in their clinical practice in order to obtain accurate diagnoses.

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Author Biographies

Luís Manuel Mota Sousa, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central, Polo Hospital Curry Cabral. Universidade Atlântica Conselho de Enfermagem da Ordem dos enfermeiros (Mandato 2012-2015)

Enfermeiro especialista em Enfermagem de reabilitação no serviço de Ortopedia do Centro hospitalar Lisboa Central

Assistente no Curso de Licenciatura em Enfermagem e no Curso de Pós-licenciatura de Especialização em Enfermagem de Reabilitação

Vogal do Conselho de Enfermagem

Cristina Maria Alves Marques-Vieira, Instituto Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Enfermeira Especialista em Reabilitação, Mestre em Comportamento Organizacional e Gestão, Doutoranda em Enfermagem, Professora na Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde.

Maria Nilza Guimarães Nogueira de Caldevilla, Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto (ESEP).

Doutora em Enfermagem, Professora Adjunta na Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto (ESEP). Porto, Portugal. Grupo de Investigação - NurID: Inovação e Desenvolvimento em Enfermagem – CINTESIS - FMUP.

Cristina Maria Alves Dias Henriques, Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo. Lisboa

Enfermeira Especialista em Enfermagem de Reabilitação. Equipa Coordenadora Regional da Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados, Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa.

Sandy Silva Pedro Severino, Hospital Curry Cabral, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central EPE, Lisboa.

Enfermeira Especialista em Enfermagem de Reabilitação. Mestre em Gestão em Saúde. Enfermeira no Hospital Curry Cabral, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Central EPE.

Sílvia Caldeira, Instituto Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Enfermeira, Mestre em Bioética, Doutora em Enfermagem, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde, Professora Auxiliar na Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisboa.
Published
30-03-2016
How to Cite
[1]
Sousa, L.M.M. et al. 2016. Assessment tools of risk for falls in elderly dwelling in the community. Global Nursing. 15, 2 (Mar. 2016), 490–521. DOI:https://doi.org/10.6018/eglobal.15.2.230251.
Issue
Vol. 15 No. 2 (2016): #42 - Abril
Section
REVIEWS

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