Prevention in the adult subject

Analysis of strategies and preventive devices

Abstract

The subject of study is part of the field of health promotion and public policy, especially the health sector of our country in a subject that is considered quite relegated as a research area. It is intended to identify and analyze the preventive strategies developed by people over 65, their family and health teams, in the “El Dique” neighborhood of the municipality of Ensenada, in relation to accidents inside and outside the home.

It is an undisputed fact that the world population is advancing in a process of sustained aging. Thus, the last century was characterized by an accelerated growth of the world population and a marked increase in life expectancy. This last fact, which is positive for most societies, represents, on the other hand, and conversely, a challenge. The central aspects of this new concern that is slowly glimpsing in the political agenda, mainly refer to the issue of increasing dependence on the elderly, which is usually associated with age (the older, the greater the risk of living with some degree of dependence). This reality, in turn, poses another challenge to solve: the problem of care, which has also undergone significant transformations in our context in recent decades.              

In this sense, the increase in the prevalence of chronic and degenerative diseases as well as disabling accidents usually results in a long period of poor health and a significant negative impact on the quality of life and health care costs of elderly people, thereby affecting the socio-sanitary systems, both for the type of needs that must be addressed and the sectors of the population affected and the policy responses they will have to generate (Huenchuán & Roqué, 2009).              

In this sense, the primary objective of health strategies for the elderly should be to strengthen the individual's ability to compensate and delay normal losses associated with aging and at the same time, avoid and limit the premature appearance of functional difficulties.              

The loss of autonomy, that is, the fact of relying on another person to carry out the activities of daily life, is the main concern, cause of suffering and poor quality of life in the elderly. Its prevalence increases with age and is related to the presence of previous disease and the state of fragility of the individual. It correlates with an increase in morbidity, mortality and institutionalization, as well as the consumption of both health and social resources, all of which entail an increase in the health cost.This ongoing investigation aims to: identify and analyze the preventive strategies developed by people over 65, their family and health teams in relation to accidents inside and outside the home.               

To this end, it is proposed to: 1) identify the conceptions that different actors have about what an accident is; 2) know the incidence of accidents suffered inside and outside the home and their impact on the mental health of the elderly; 3) describe and analyze the relationships between accidents and the different socio-demographic, health and environmental variables; and, 4) relieve and typify the preventive strategies implemented by individuals, their families and the Health Services.              

This is a non-experimental study of descriptive correlational design. It will work with an intentional sample not probabilistic. The methodology to be used will be based on the concept called triangulation, specifically multiple type, also called multiple convergence.              

The sample will consist of: 12 health workers from different disciplines, belonging to the Zonal Hospital of Specialized Chronicles "El Dique", located on 129th and 51st Street and the US Villa Catela, located on 36th Street between 125 and 126, Ensenada Municipality, 10 neighborhood families with seniors and 10 without seniors and 25 people over 65.              

Results: Interviews are currently being conducted with the target population (health teams, older adults and family members).