Abstract

ALVAREZ GONZALEZ, R. et al. Aging and solitude. Enferm. glob. [online]. 2009, n.17. ISSN 1695-6141.

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze whether elderly people in a state of fragility, visited by the Emergency Domiciliary Care service, have received a follow-up program by the nursing staff and whether they were labeled as "Elderly people in state of fragility." Material and method: A two-phase observational study. Firstly, in phase I, a population comprising people older than 64 and visited by the emergency domiciliary service from the Raval Nord Primary Care Centre was selected. Whether they had received nursing follow-up and whether they had been diagnosed as elderly people in a frail state was analyzed. In phase II, a simple random sample from this population was chosen. Here, it was analyzed whether there had been changes in the nursing diagnosis and follow-up. Results: Of a total was seen that of 776 medical emergency domiciliary visits, 568 (73.19%) were people belonging to the over 64 group. Out of the total, 57 cases (10%) belonged to the age group between 75 and 85 years old (80%). Out of this group, 77.26% were women; 94% were diagnosed with a chronic condition (diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc); and 77.2% were polymedicated. In addition, 66.7% were not included in the Domiciliary Care Program and were not diagnosed as frail elderly people. In phase II, an increase in nursing care, as well as in the "frail elderly people" diagnosis were found. Conclusions: The use of nursing diagnosis for elderly people in a frail state is an indispensable tool for the monitoring and follow-up of that population.

Keywords : Aging; Solitude; Nursing in Community Health; Emergency Unit.

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