Aid to the elderly person aged 80 and over in the emergency service: perspective of professionals from nursing homes
- Autores: Fernando Pina, Joana Cardoso, João Vicente, Madalena Esteves, Olivério Ribeiro, Madalena Cunha
- Localización: Millenium, ISSN-e 1647-662X, Nº. 14, 2024 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Especial nº 14)
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
Introduction: The increase in the average life expectancy of the population has been significantly reflected in the accentuated rate of aging and the increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, leading to an increase in the number of people aged 80 and over attending Emergency Services.
Objective: Identify the reasons for visits to the emergency room by elderly people, taking into account the perspective of professionals in Residential Structures for the Elderly; explore measures to reduce the number of elderly people aged 80 and over sent to the Emergency Department.
Methods: Observational study of a descriptive nature in a cross-sectional cohort in a non-probabilistic sample of 60 representatives of Residential Structures for the Elderly who sent elderly people aged 80 and over to the Emergency Department of a Hospital Center in the Center of Portugal. Data collection was carried out using interviews based on a semi-structured script prepared by the team of researchers.
Results: The most prevalent determinants that lead the elderly person aged 80 and over to the Emergency Department are, according to the professionals of the Residential Structures for the Elderly, falls (73.33%), respiratory difficulty (65%) and cardiovascular disease (30%). Of the suggestions relevant to the reduction in the sending of the elderly aged 80 and over to the ER, the most important are greater accessibility of contact with the health center (25%), the existence of extended opening hours at the health centers (21.67%) and greater monitoring by the institution's own physician (18.33%).
Conclusion: We suggest the replication of this study with a larger sample due to its reduced number and the scarcity of studies focusing only on the visit of institutionalized elderly people aged 80 and older to the Emergency Department
