Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the biopsychosocial characteristics and the level of functional dependence in elderly people at the public health system in a southern region of Chile. The descriptive and tranversal methodology considered a universe conformed by 117,000 elderly, with 65 years old and over, and a random probabilistic sample of 575 responses. Information was collected through personal interviews at homes of the subjects. We used a questionnaire which included sociodemographic and psychosocial questions, and scales to test the basic and instrumental functional dependence behaviour (Katz, Lawton). The results showed that 59% are women, 64% has 70 and over and 79% knows how to read and to write. Being in their majority house owners and workers, 30% lives with families with 4 members and 11% lives alone. The functional dependence activities, measured with Kast index shows 19.7% of dependence and the Lawton and Brody index, classified to 87.3% of the elderly with dependence. It is necessary to continue investigating this group and to look for correlations between biopsychosocial variables and functional dependence to guide a more effective nursing care.