Analysis of the distribution of the risk factors for repeated hospitalization of elderly patients resident in the countryside

Abstract

Aging of the population and its developments in the health area are a challenge to the professional, who act in Primary Health Care. The change in assistance and its organization based on information about the health conditions of this population and its determining factors are essencial. This article analyzes the distribution of rural elderly population as to six risk factors for repeated hospitalizations. They are: chronic diseases, number of visits, age group, existence or not of social support and self-perception of health. Secondary data derived from information existing in the charts of 176 registered elderly patients in a Family Health Program located in a rural area of the municipality of Santa Rosa (RS) were used. In the data analysis, it was observed that the average age was 65-75 years, consisting mostly of women; the self-perception of health was considered average by 63,6% of the people analyzed. The objective of this study was to know the rural elderly population of Family Health Strategy for better planning of the proposed actions to this population. New conceptions of health assistance to the elderly must be added to the Family Health Strategy, with the use of new technologies turned to the qualification of the assistance to the elderly.