Comparison of balance, depression, and cognition in institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly individuals/Comparacao do equilibrio, depressao e cognicao entre idosas institucionalizadas e nao-institucionalizadas

• Published in: Revista CEFAC 2013-09, Vol.15 (5), p.1073
• Main Authors: de Souza Borges, Marina Garcia, Rocha, Liliane Ribeiro da, de Araujo Brandao Couto, Erica, Mancini, Patricia Cotta
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Subjects: Accidental falls; Analysis; Depression (Mood disorder)
• ISSN: 1516-1846

Purpose: to compare functional balance, risk of falls, tendency to depression and cognition preservation among institutionalized and non-institutionalized seniors. Method: the study was carried out with 56 seniors, 28 composed the study group residents in Lar do Anciao Cidade Ozanan and 28 in a control group. All were appraised with the Mini-Mental Status Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale and Berg Balance Scale. The seniors that presented dizziness as a symptom answered the Dizziness Handicap Inventory as well. For statistic analysis the Chi-square and Fisher Exact Tests were used considering a significance level of 5% in all analyses. Results: the age average of the institutionalized seniors' group was higher than the average of those non-institutionalized and the results of MiniMental Status Examination indicated a smaller preservation of the cognitive aspects among the institutionalized seniors. Eight non-institutionalized seniors presented dizziness as a complaint, and the average found in Dizziness Handicap Inventory of this group was higher than the one found in the institutionalized group. The functional balance evaluation revealed that the institutionalized seniors had a lower medium score than the non-institutionalized ones, and they also presented a larger tendency to falls and to depression. Conclusions: the institutionalized seniors presented worse results in the evaluations of the cognitive aspects, functional balance and tendency to falls, and also in the frequency of symptoms of depression. KEYWORDS: Aged; Depression; Postural Balance; Cognition; Institutionalization Objetivo: comparar o equilibrio funcional, o risco de quedas, a tendencia a depressao e preservacao da cognicao entre idosas institucionalizadas e nao-institucionalizadas. Metodo: participaram deste estudo 56 idosas, sendo o grupo de estudo composto por 28 residentes na Instituicao Lar do Anciao Cidade Ozanan e o grupo controle composto por 28 idosas da comunidade. Todas foram submetidas a avaliacoes como o Mini Exame do Estado Mental, Escala de Depressao Geriatrica e Escala do Equilibrio de Berg. As idosas que relataram o sintoma de tontura responderam, tambem, ao Questionario de Handicap para Tontura. Foram utilizados os testes Qui- Quadrado e Exato de Fisher para a analise dos dados, considerando um nivel de significancia de 5% em todas as analises. Resultados: a media de idade do grupo de idosas institucionalizadas foi superior a media das nao-institucionalizadas e os