Health conditions referred and functional disability degree in elderly

Abstract

The paper aimed to investigate the health conditions and to estimate the functional activities of daily living in elderly registered in the basic health of the urban area of Campina Grande-PB. It was an epidemiological study census, conducted with 36 elderly. We used a socio-demographic questionnaire and Barthel Index. The age of the elderly ranged from 65 to 90 years. Of those, 72% were retired and 100% had completed elementary school and lived with their relatives. The common health problems were hypertension (49%), pain (18%), urinary incontinence (12%) and diabetes mellitus (9%). It was identified: functional mild disability (34%) and severe (8%). The elderly needed: medical consultation (25%), laboratory tests (25%), medication (19%), false teeth (72%), dentures (22%) and walking-stick (6%). There is need for health care workers with training in gerontology and geriatrics, to assure comprehensive care contributing to ensuring the quality of healthcare for the elderly.