Medo de cair e declínio funcional em idosos

Abstract

Introduction: Fear of falling and functional decline are important factors commonly found among the elderly, which have potentially serious impacts on the lives and health of these individuals, such as restricted activity and participation, loss of independence, psychological changes, injuries and death. Fear of falling can lead to functional decline in the individual, even as functional decline can lead to fear of falling. As both have risk factors in common, it is important to understand the relationship between them, in order to seek strategies and ways to prevent. Objective: To verify the relationship between fear of falling and functional status in the elderly, through a narrative review of the literature. Methodology: Literature review of articles indexed in the Medline, PEDro and Scielo databases, based on the keywords: elderly; falls; fear; functional capacity, self-efficacy in avoiding falls, activities of daily living and similar ones in English, in an isolated and / or conjugated way, in search of articles published in national and international magazines, published between January 2015 and January 2020 Results: 10 articles were included according to the eligibility criteria for this study, 6 cross sectional and 4 longitudinal. The studies used different methodologies to assess the fear of falling, as well the functional status of patients. Regarding the fear of falling, most studies used the Falls Efficacy Scale - International. In general, studies used more than one tool to assess functional status, the most used was Timed Up and Go. Conclusion: The results found in this study indicate that impaired physical function can be both a cause and a consequence of fear to fall. The fear of falling is multifactorial and, often, a modifiable factor. Therefore, the correct approach to fear of falling and functional decline can help to improve mobility and functional performance, which in turn could improve social integration and health-related quality of life in the elderly.