Objective:

To determine the effectiveness of a program of cognitive stimulation of the elderly residents in Social Protection Centers in Cartagena, 2014.

Methods:

Quasi-experimental study with pre and post tests in control and experimental groups. A sample of 37 elderly residents in Social Protection Centers participated: 23 in the experimental group and 14 in the control group. A survey and a mental evaluation test (Pfeiffer) were applied. The experimental group participated in10 sessions of cognitive stimulation.

Results:

The paired t-test showed statistically significant differences in the Pfeiffer test, pre and post intervention, compared to the experimental group (P=.0005). The unpaired t-test showed statistically significant differences in Pfeiffer test results to the experimental and control groups (P=.0450). The analysis of the main components showed that more interrelated variables were: age, diseases, number of errors and test results; which were grouped around the disease variable, with a negative association.

Conclusions:

The intervention demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in cognitive functionality of the elderly. Nursing can lead this type of intervention. It should be studied further to strengthen and clarify these results.

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