Objective:

To identify the access to the health benefits of the elderly of the Program of the Elderly of Chile according to its functionality.

Methodology:

Cross-sectional study, with a convenience sample of 264 elderly with 65 and over who received health benefits from the Senior Adult Program during 2016, from four Family Health Centers in Chile. Variables: functionality, operationalized in a condition of risk-free auto valence, self-prevalence with risk, risk of dependence, mild or moderate dependence and severe or severe dependence. Health benefits, operationalized in universal and specific. The descriptive analysis was carried out for all the variables of this study.

Results:

The 46.6% were self-sustained without risk, 33.7% were self-sustained with risk followed by 16.7% with risk of dependence. Of the total of specific benefits, the one that had greater coverage was the chronic consultation, with 83.0%. Of the universal benefits, the highest coverage was the Anti-Influenza vaccination, with 83.0%. The benefits related to medical consultations for anxiety, depression and dementia presented a low coverage with 10.1%, 14.6% and 12.4% respectively.

Conclusions:

The health benefits of greater coverage were the consultation of chronic and vaccination Ant influenza characterized by preventive benefits. This refers to the need for changes in the organization of health controls aimed at the elderly in that they are all focused on the life cycle and not divided by pathology. Also, with a more proactive and less reactive approach.

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