[Falls by elderly people living in long-term care institutions in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil].

This study focuses on the occurrence of falls and related factors among elderly individuals living in long-term care institutions in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. A structured questionnaire on demographic characteristics, morbidity, use of psychoactive drugs, and occurrence of falls was used. In December 2006, all 21 long-term care institutions for the elderly registered in the city were contacted, and 19 agreed to participate. A total of 377 elderly were identified, but 96 were unable to answer the questionnaire and 38 refused to answer. Most of the 243 elderly in the sample were women (72.8%), and mean age was 77.7 years (SD = 8.9). Nearly one-third of the sample (32.5%) had suffered at least one fall in the previous year. Falls were twice as frequent in women, individuals with rheumatism or back problems, and those on psychoactive medication. The aim is for the findings to encourage further discussion on the health of elderly residents in long-term care institutions.