Dependencia y calidad de vida de las personas mayores ingresadas en residencias de la Región de Murcia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: The progressive increase in life expectancy has been an aging Spanish population. There is a shortage and difficulty finding studies describing and analyzing the needs of the institutionalized elderly in nursing homes. Probably due to the residences behave as "closed" institutions and even as a small social "microcosm" isolated. Aims: To analyze sociodemographic characteristics, functional capacity, the level of physical and psychological dependence and depressive symptoms of institutionalized elderly in nursing homes compared with that presented by the greatest living with his family. And to evaluate the quality of life of older institutionalized in nursing homes in the Autonomous Region of Murcia. Material & Methods: The total study populations are 401 people over 60 years and both sexes divided into two different groups: 300 institutionalized elderly in a nursing home and 101 seniors living with his family. For them, we used a standardized questionnaire containing three indexes that evaluate the degree of dependence in basic activities of daily living (ADL/Barthel Index), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL/Lawton-Brody Index ) and the incidence of geriatric depression (Yesavage scale). For the evaluation of the quality of life in the elderly institutionalized in nursing homes it has been used Quality of life WHO (WHOQOL-BREF survey). We have determined the dependence and correlation between variables by analysis of variance complemented via contrast of means. Quantitative means were compared via regression and lineal correlation analyses. Results: It has given a severe physical/psychological dependence in older institutionalized in nursing homes compared to seniors living with his family (p<0.0005). In addition, the institutionalized elderly in nursing homes are dependent 44.3% for ABVD, 80.7% are dependent for the IADL, while only 4.7% are self-employed, showing in all cases with significant differences seniors living with his family. In addition, we detected different sociodemographic differentials between the two groups. A significant lack of opportunities in the application of Law 39/2006, which reached 70.7% in the elderly institutionalized in homes compared to 26.7% of the elderly living with their families (p<0.0005). Finally, information on the quality of life of these elderly are collected in order to understand the situation determining that personal relationships and the environment are the two most affected domains according to WHOQOL-BREF scale. Conclusions: Institutionalized elderly people in nursing homes are more dependent than older people living with their family. Therefore, the physical and/or psychological dependence is the determinant for entry of an elderly person in a nursing home in our community (p<0.0005) factor and reflects the need to create new models of geriatric care to suit the needs real of our elders. Keywords: elderly, residents, home, care, dependency.