Strategies for falls prevention in older adults’ housing to support aging in place

Abstract

In Brazil, there are many hospitalizations and deaths among elderly people as a result of falls. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the risk factors for this event are classified as behavioral, biological, socioeconomic, and environmental. The objective of this research is to propose recommendations for planning safer living environments for the elderly as a strategy to prevent falls. The methodological procedure involves the identification of risk factors through a Systematic Literature Review (RSL) and Content Analysis. The RSL was performed using the StARt tool - State of the Art through Systematic Review. Eighty-six articles were identified and from the Content Analysis, characteristics related to each risk factor were identified. As a result, most researchers are in the health area and point to environmental risk factors with recurrence as a cause of falls. Still, the results found presuppose a reflection on the inclusion of these recommendations not only in relation to the adequacy of safer housing to support aging in place, but also with public policies so that the guidelines are accessible to the entire population.

Keywords:
Risk factors; Falls; Older adultos; Housing; Public policies; Aging in place