Fragility and functional status of institutionalized elderly

Abstract

Objective: investigating the association between fragility in the elderly and the clinical variable functional status. Method: a field research, of a quantitative nature, attended by 22 seniors. Data were collected through the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS), the Katz Index and the Lawton scale and analyzed using SPSS for Windows. The research was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research, under CAAE 0031.0.470.000-11. Results: there was demonstrated that many elderly people had some sort of weakness (63,7%) and presented a good functional ability to performing activities of daily living (41,8%). However, 59% presented some kind of dependence or need for help to the improvement of daily instrumental activities. Conclusion: there is a need for a qualified assistance and turned to improvement of quality of life and independence of frail elderly, including in long-stay institutions.