Objective:

Characterize the level of functional dependence of institutionalized elderly people in two welfare centers of the Fundación Hogar Adulto Mayor Necesitado - FHAMN de Floridablanca (Santander, Colombia), to base interdisciplinary interventions that protect their physical, psychological and social well-being.

Methodology:

Transversal, quantitative, descriptive Study, with a sample people of 48, between 50 and 101 years old. The instrument was original version Barthel Index, in Spanish, validated in 1987; this instrument evaluated ten daily activities.

Results:

The Sample people fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with 62.5% (n 30) men and 37.5% (n 18) women. The average age was 77.2 years. Evidenced that the sample people have some functional dependence level to perform Basic Activities of Daily Life (ADL).

Conclusions:

The level of functional dependence to perform ADL, reason based on the relationship between aging and the risks that facilitate the appearance of frailty, loss of physical and psychological functional capacities, linked to less independence.

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