Evaluation of the functional capacity of the elderly

Abstract

The increase in the elderly population is a phenomenon present in Brazil and worldwide. This segment of the population, over the years, faces a progressive decline in functional performance due to the aging process and chronic diseases. Functional status is an important component of independence for the elderly, characterized by the ability to perform basic activities of daily living (BADLs), which include eating, dressing, bathing, getting around and using the toilet, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as buying groceries, preparing a meal, doing housework, traveling to distant places, managing medication, managing finances, and use a phone. For this reason, the need to assess the functional capacity of the elderly has been evidenced to prevent future complications such as weaknesses, falls, physical disability, decline in functionality and early mortality. The present study had the general objective of identifying the tracking instruments most used to assess the dimensions of the functional capacity of the elderly. It is an integrative review, carried out in the databases SCIELO – Scientific Library Online, LILACS – Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde and MEDLINE – Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online Library of scientific works published in the last five years, resulting in a finding of 2,237 studies. With the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 540 were chosen to read the abstracts, of which 30 were chosen for careful reading and 10 were eligible to discuss the study. Six instruments for assessing functional capacity were identified in the lierature consulted, concluding that the most used were: Katz index in the BAVD subdimension, Lawton's scale for IADLs and MMSE for cognitive functions.