Evaluation of elderly persons' functionality and care needs

• Autor(a) principal: Lopes, M. J.
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Escoval, A., Pereira, D. G., Pereira, C. S., Carvalho, C., Fonseca, C.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/8379; https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692013000700008
• topic: Aging; International Classification of Functioning; Disability and Health; Needs Assessment

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the elderly persons' functionality, based on the International Classification of Functionality. METHODS: a cross-sectional, descriptive study; a stratified random sample of 903 elderly persons; a confidence level of 95%; and a margin of error of 2.5%. Questionnaire based on the International Classification of Functionality; data was collected based on structured interviews undertaken by health professionals in the health centers in the Alentejo region of Portugal. RESULTS: 30.7% of the elderly persons stated that they were illiterate, and 22.9% lived alone. Feeding/dietary (18.7%), housing (19.2%) and health needs (26.0%) were not met. Orientation functions were maintained in 83.4%; 58% of the elderly persons referred to pain so intense that it required care; 73.3% of the elderly persons did not have functional dentition. Levels of performance were superior to 80% in the participation activities: washing oneself (82.6%), toileting (92.2%), dressing, eating, and drinking (89%). CONCLUSION: although a progressive decline in functionality is observed as age advances, the majority of dimensions are preserved until around 75 years of age.