Katz index applied to institutionalized elderly people

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the profile and the degree of dependence of 204 institutionalized aged residents in some philanthropic long-term care institutions in Londrina-PR. It is a cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study. The feminine sex predominated, with an average age of 76.4 years, of which 44.5% were single, 42.2% had no children. Just 58.8% of the aged ones had available data with regard to education and among these, and of these 80.0% were illiterate or had incomplete basic education; 53.9% could move around without difficulties and 34.3% couldn’t. It was found out that 58.8% needed help to take a bath; 55.9% to get dressed, 49% to use the bathroom, 38.2% to lie down and to raise, 34.8% were incontinent, 14.7% required assistance to be fed and 2% were fed via an enteral feeding tube. Institutions have a role in the evolution of the dependence of the elderly people, which may be an aggravating factor when limiting their daily living activities and incentives provided to them.