Home fall of elderly people: implications of stressors and representations in the COVID-19 context

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe personal conditions and home structure that predisposes the elderly to the risk of falling, in the perspective of Neuman's stressors; to describe the content, structure and origin of social representations about falling at home by elderly people; and conjecture the implications of this empirical evidence on the daily lives of the elderly in the context of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. METHOD: Mixed method with concomitant triangulation (January-July/2017), qualitative design (structural and procedural approaches to the Social Representations Theory) and quantitative (sectional) approaching elderly people ≥65 years. RESULTS: Environmental factors were identified for falling at home, fear of activities of daily living and loss of visual acuity. Feelings and behaviors mentioned in the possible central nucleus justified the modulation of behaviors. Analysis categories: 1) Representation of the (in)adaptability of the home environment; 2) Representation and overcoming limitations arising from weaknesses. CONCLUSION: It was possible to produce conjectures based on empirical evidence in the current situation in the pandemic's dynamics.