Rastreamento do risco de perda funcional: uma estratégia fundamental para a organização da Rede de Atenção ao Idoso Screening the risk for functional loss: a basic strategy for organizing the elderly health care network

From a critical analysis of experiments in the use of screening tools for functional loss in the elderly, it was observed that the main motiva- tion to develop and implement a screening instru- ment is to improve health care for the frail elderly or those at risk of functional loss and repeated hos- pital admissions. The instruments are preferably short questionnaires with no more than 16 self- reported questions. The main intervention per- formed after screening was monitoring the elderly by a specialized nursing service that, when neces- sary, referring them to the medical service. The results of this approach included the reduction of functional loss, hospital admissions, deaths, lower health expenses and greater consumer satisfaction.