Pressure ulcers in older adults in a permanent geriatric stay

Abstract

We call human aging a gradual and adaptive process of a biological, psychological and social type, produced as a consequence of genetically programmed changes, history, lifestyles, environment and social conditions to which the person was exposed. On the other hand, old age is a stage of life whose beginning is established by society, which is why the United Nations Organization agreed that, in developing countries, people aged 60 and over are classified as older adults. In institutionalized older adults, the prevalence of pressure ulcers is a worrying issue in the development of nursing care plans. Prolonged bedridden, reduced mobility, malnutrition, physiological alterations, incontinence, among others, are causes that can cause pressure ulcers, as well as aspects related to current strategies and practices for their prevention in patients at a social health center. This is considered important because during aging structural and functional changes occur in different organs and systems. For this reason, as health professionals, we must know the normal morphological and functional changes of physiological aging, and thus guide the elderly to adapt and improve their lifestyle.