Functional assessment of the elderly: No-262 Doctor's Office, "Turcios Lima" Teaching Outpatient Clinic, July-December 2006

Technological Development, descriptive, cross-sectional and prospective research was conducted in order to assess the functional and general conditions of the elderly belonging to No-262 Doctor's Office, No-5 Basic Group of work "Capitan San Luis" Popular Council and "Turcios Lima" Teaching Outpatient Clinic, Pinar del Rio municipality during July-December 2006. The universe was comprised of 110 elderly attending to the Doctor's Office corresponding with the sample. To record the information an analysis of the health situation in the sector was performed, reviewing medical and familial histories, a questionnaire was applied always under voluntary nature, and the agreement of the persons to participate in the research based on the Scale of the Functional Geriatric Assessment (SFGA); as well as in the Katz's Rate of Basic Activities on Daily Life (RBADL), and the Scale of Lawton-Brody to the Instrumental Daily Activities was arranged. To the statistical analysis the Test of proportional variables was used. Results showed that female sex (63.64%) and ages 60-64 years old (22.73%) prevailed, verifying a demographic aging. The use of medications was detected in the 70% of the aged, while mobility and balance were influenced in 60.91% and 56.36%, respectively. Memory was the most affected component in the psychological sphere (56.64%). Women presented more difficulties than men in the majority of the spheres; prevailing in women disorders of the functional and general condition. The independent, active elderly, and those satisfied with their life belonged mainly to male sex.