Functional assessment of elderly with cognitive deficit

Objective: To describe the social profile and functional capacity of elderly with cognitive deficit. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, transversal study with 503 elderly of 60 years and older with cognitive deficit, living in Dourados, (MS), Brazil, and assisted by the Family Health Strategy (FHS). Data collection was performed by means of home interviews, with a structured questionnaire for sociodemographic variables and health conditions, the Mini Mental State Examination and the Functional Independence Measure. Results: We identified 215 elderly patients with cognitive deficit, of whom 32 (14.9%) presented some level of dependency. There was a greater level of dependence in the male gender and those aged 80 years and more. The dimensions of movement and cognition presented the lowest values. Conclusion: The cognitive and functional diagnoses are fundamental for planning actions that favor the promotion and maintenance of functional capacity of the elderly.