Avaliação do equilíbrio postural em idosos institucionalizados através da escala de equilíbrio de Berg

Abstract

This study, of descriptive character, had as objective to evaluate the balance postural of elderly’s institutionalized through the Berg’s Scale of Balance, to describe the reality of the physical atmosphere where the same ones live, as well as to aim possible favorable and unfavorable factors to the risk of falls. The population was composed by 21 persons with 60 years or more of age, of both sexes, of two asylums of the city of Franca-SP (A1 and A2). For the collection of relative data to the balance an instrument was elaborated contends data concerning the elderly’s identification and of items related to the evaluation of the balance proposed by the Berg’s Scale of Balance. Tends in view the concern of the study of confronting the results related to the elderly’s balance with the local reality where he lived, another instrument was elaborated with relative data to some characteristics of operation of the institutions and of the atmosphere physicist of the same ones. The general profile of the population demonstrated the prevalence of the feminine sex, ages between 60 and 85 years or plus, with larger age group between 60 and 70 years, single and fundamental school age. The great majority (95,0%) received remuneration of the retirement, and 70,0% of the same ones destined 70,0% of the income for the institution. The time of institution varied of less than 10 up to 26 years. The identified base diseases were related to the cardiobreathing, neurological, muscle-skeletal, somato-sensorial systems and tegumentar, associated or not to each other, requesting or not use it of medications. The obtained populations of the application Berg’s Scale of Balance varied and they facilitated the identification that more the task demanded from the elderly, minor it was the punctuation obtained by the same. In three elderly, the maximum number of reached points predicted a weakened balance, with 100% of risk of falls. The two institutions possessed physical, environmental characteristics and of personal similar and they received attendance specialized in cases of urgency, for institutions of health. The permission for visits varied from to three times a week from to everyday. The group of data facilitated some reflections concerning the situation of the elderly’s of the study institutions and of the society as a whole, addressing for the necessity of accomplishment of research multidisciplinaries that they evaluate the directional of the elderly tripod - balance postural - atmosphere.