Functional capacity and self-care profiles of older people in senior care homes

The reduction of the functional capacity in older people is the result of physical, psychological and functional changes related to the ageing process, compromising the performance of daily life activities. Assessing their functional capacity and their self-care profile can facilitate the planning of targeted strategies related to stimulation, as well as cognitive and motor rehabilitation. This study aims to evaluate and analyse the functional capacity, as well as the level of dependence in self-care of older people in senior care centres. This is a transversal exploratory study, quantitative in nature. The sample was comprised of 313 participants, randomly selected from a set of senior care centres, with an average age of 83.41 (SD=7.14) years, recruited from the interior North of Portugal. The data collection instruments included the Barthel Index, the Lawton and Brody Scale, the Evaluation Form of Dependence in Self-care, the Self-care of Home Dwelling Elderly (self-care subscale profiles) and a questionnaire on demographic data. The elderly showed several levels of dependence on different self-care items. It was possible to observe that the staff often replaces the elderly in many of the tasks that could still be performed by them, and thus aggravates their levels of dependence. The link observed between functional capacity and self-care profiles highlights the need to focus on the notion of a healthy and active ageing process, especially in some profiles. The monitoring of the functional capacity and the self-care profile can provide knowledge concerning the potential for autonomy and individual needs, thus enabling targeted and more responsive interventions for the individual and the real needs of older people.