Evaluation of Home Environments of People Over the Age of 65 in Terms of Home Accident Information

Abstract

Background: Home accidents pose serious problems that threaten public health. This study aims to evaluate the home environments of the elderly and to identify risky situations in terms of home accidents. Methods: This study was performed as a descriptive study between February and April 2015 and included 324 individuals aged 65 years and above. As for data collection tools, an interview form involving personal information with 23 questions and a home safety checklist with 26 questions prepared by researchers in line with the literature were used. The validity and reliability of the home security checklist were checked by Guler P et al. in 2002. Forms were filled out using observation and interview techniques by the researchers during the home visits. Data were transferred to a computer and evaluated. Number and percentile tests were used for data analysis. R esults: The average score of the risk of home accidents for the elderly was found to be 14.00 ± 4.91. The first items threatening home security were identified as the absence of bath and toilet bars. The relationships between the marital status of the elderly, working status, whether or not living together, income status, continuous use of medication, diagnosis of chronic illness and point average of home accident risk were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In the present study, it was determined that the elderly are at risk of experiencing home accidents. At the end of this work, planning and implementation of domestic regulations, training, and necessary nursing interventions are proposed to reduce the risk of home accidents.