ACCIDENTES Y AGRAVIOS A LA SALUD DE LOS ANCIANOS EN LOS AMBIENTES DE TRABAJO

:: : This descriptive study, conducted at a teaching hospital in Sao Paulo in 2000, used patient file data from a hospital emergency unit to characterize occupational accidents (OAs) suffered by elderly people. Data were collected using documentary analysis of records of care given in 1998 and 1999. Of 618 OAs, 21.84% related to elderly; 45.93% of these people were 60 to 69 years old, 26.67% were retired, 68.89% of OAs involved falls; 34.81% affected lower limbs and 55.56% resulted in fractures. Elderly have been suffering OAs, showing they re-enter the labor market after retirement. This entails a need to reorganize health care, including to obtain complete data on care