Avaliação das condições de saúde de idosos residentes em instituição de longa permanência

Abstract

The health evaluation of elderly people, living in Long Stay Institutions (ILP), is considered an essential practice for health promotion, prevention and recovery. This should include investigation on aspects related to psychological, biological, social and spiritual needs. This study has the objective to characterize elderly people, in accordance to socio demographic variables, describe the health conditions as per the Theory of Basic Human Needs (NHB), of Wanda Horta de Aguiar, and verify the association between depressive symptoms and variables, such as, sex, age, time at institutions, medicines, functional incapacity for daily activities, pain, morbidity and cognitive collapse. It is an analytical, observational, transversal study, with quantitative approach, done at eight Long Stay Institutions in Uberaba MG. The population of this study was composed by 86 elderly people. Data collection, was done by a semi structured instrument on basic needs, proposed by Wanda. Data was analyzed using, also, Pearson correlation coefficient (p <0.01) and Student's t test (p <0.05). This project was approved by the Committee Ethic in Human Research, UFTM, protocol number 1832. The majority of elderly people are female (70,9%), age range 80 or older (44,2%), White (73,3¨) and widows (46,5), elliterate (48,8%), catholic (58,1%), income of one minimum wage (88,4%) from retirement (75,6%). They were directed to Institutions due to the fact that they were living alone (44,2%) and were not able to live with relatives. Some were living in institutions for 2 to 5 years (55,8%). They had morbidity of 40,7%, high blood pressure (54,7%) e diabetes mellitus (16,3%). Use of medicine was observed in 95,3% of elderly people, the most used was for high blood pressure (66,3%). In the evaluation of psycho biologic needs. the elderly presented high pressoric level (30,2%), cognitive collapse 58,3%), auditive decline (62,8%), pain 31,4%, edentulism (73,3%), dental proctesis 39,5%), sedentary life (97,7%), dependence for bathing and dressing (36%). In relation to psychosocial they had good social interaction, getting visits from children (30,2%), and dependency for all daily activities (100%). As for psycho spiritual life 29.1% have a religious practice, like going to Mass (36.0%) and pray (56.0%). The greater number of depressive symptoms was associated with cognitive decline (p=0,02)..The greater number of functional incapacity, for basic activities, relates to shorter time at the institution (p<0,001). Among all Basic Human Needs (NHB), the most affected is the psychobiologic area, showing the need to establish strategies to promote residents independence and autonomy.