Medición del riesgo funcional en adultos mayores pobres, con un instrumento validado en Canadá / Functional risk assessment of poor Chilean elders using an instrument validated in Canada

Background: Information about medical and social situation of elders is limited in Chile. Aim: To assess the functional risk of Chilean elders using an instrument validated in Canada. Subjects and methods: As part of a project aimed to help poor elders, 2,116 subjects living in Santiago, aged 65 to 99 years old (1,334 female, and 625 older than 75 years old), were interviewed. Results: Thirty percent of these elders were using more than three medications and 13 percent lived alone. Visual problems were detected in 75 percent, memory problems were found in 62 percent, 63 percent felt depressed, 46 percent had hearing problems, 42 percent suffered a fall during the last year, 35 percent had a health problem that forced them to stay at home, 32 percent did not count with help in a case of need, 33 percent referred some type of nutritional problem, 26 percent needed help for daily living activities and 25 percent considered to have a worst health than counterparts of the same age. Among subjects older than 75 years old, the frequency of memory problems, auditory impairment, number of falls, health problems that precluded leaving the house, limitation for daily activities and the use of walking aids, was significantly higher. Although men and women had similar ages, men were in worst functional conditions, and had required more admissions to hospitals. There was a higher proportion of women living alone. Females also had a higher frequency of depression, memory disturbances, falls and use of more than three medications. Conclusions: Women elders tend to be in better functional conditions than men and people older than 75 years old have a higher functional risk. The applied instrument allowed a better focalization of our geriatric program

Valoración geriátrica ambulatoria de 2116 adultos mayores pobres / Geriatric assessment of 2116 free living elders

Background: Geriatric assessment quantifies medical, functional, mental and social capabilities and alterations of elders and is the first step to initiate specific intervention programs. Aim: To report the initial geriatric assessment of a program aimed to help poor elders living in Metropolitan Santiago. Subjects and methods: Two thousand one hundred sixteen free living subjects aged 65 to 99 years old (711 males) were subjected to an assessment using a simple geriatric score validated abroad and used previously in Chile. The resulting score ranges from 0 (better) to 5 (worst). Results: Eighty eight percent of elders did not have problems in the functional evaluation. Subjects over 75 years old needed occasional support for the daily activities with higher frequency than younger subjects (12 and 5.4 per cent respectively, p< 0.001) and had a higher frequency of major functional limitations (7.8 and 3.2 per cent respectively, p< 0.001). Mental assessment was considered normal in 89.4 per cent of subjects. Those over 75 years old had a higher frequency of memory disturbances (11.4 and 6.5 per cent respectively) and cognitive alterations (4.6 and 1.8 per cent respectively). Indefinite social support could be received by 84 per cent of subjects, but 7.4 per cent did not have access to this resource. Conclusions: Geriatric assessment of poor elders gives useful information to identify those subjects that require community help