Abstract

AGUDELO GARCIA, Eliana; AYALA HINCAPIE, María Lucila  and  RIOS IDARRAGA, Martha Luisa. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOBILITY IN THE ELDER PEOPLE, ACCORDING TO THE KATZ INDEX, AT THE CENTRO DE BIENESTAR DE ANCIANOS SAN JOSÉ, PEREIRA 2007. Investig. andina [online]. 2009, vol.11, n.18, pp.69-79. ISSN 0124-8146.

Introduction: a large majority of elders presents a certain degree of limitation in their physical mobility and due to this, they struggle with the difficulties to adapt and move around7; this deterioration generates vulnerability, which results in fragile human beings with reserved medical prognosis in some cases, which include handicaps, dependence, falls, becoming interns and mortality in older adults. Methods: a characterization of the degree of mobility in older adults was performed, according to the Katz scale, at the Centro de Bienestar para el Anciano de San Jose de Pereira, during the first semester of 2007. Results: the study included all the residents of the center, older than 59 years of age (100%). 47.8% of the people evaluated are autonomous; however, only 8% of the autonomous elderly are healthy. Conclusions: the levels of autonomy of the elder are not synonymous with their quality of life. On the contrary, these require multidisciplinary teams, lead by nurses. Throughout the development of aides and supports, nurses are able to offer a guarantee of quality and well being, avoiding accidents in their daily activities and providing a benefit to the elders with nutritional, therapeutic and preventive supports.

Keywords : ambulatory dependency; mobility limitation; aging.

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