FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND LEVEL OF DEPENDENCE IN LONG-LIVED ELDERLY LIVING AT HOME

Abstract

Introduction: The changes that occur in the body of the elderly individual with the aging process make it more prone to develop functional dependence. Objective: To assess the functional activities and the level of dependence in long-lived elderly living at home. Methods: This is an analytical study, with a cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach, which was performed with 117 long-lived elderly people in the city of Jequié-BA. The analyzed variables were: sociodemographic (gender, age and schooling), health conditions (pain, diseases, basic and instrumental activities of daily living) and motor performance (balance test, flexibility/ mobility, sitting down and getting up, and walking). The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CAAE nº 16450513.6.0000.0055). Descriptive statistical analysis and Kruskal-Wallis Test were applied, by adopting a p-value of <0.005. Results: There was a significant statistical difference among the variables on balance, basic activities of daily living (p=0.001) and instrumental activities of daily living (p=0.001); and between the sitting down/ getting up test and IADL (p=0.024). Conclusion: One can conclude that the impairment of basic and instrumental activities of daily living has influence on the impairment of balance.