[Epidemiological, clinical and of functional independence profile of an institutionalized elderly population]

Descriptive and sectional study to describe socio-demographic, clinical and functional independence profile of 97 institutionalized elderly in two nursing homes of Itaúna-MG. A socio-demographic and clinical data and Independence Daily Living Activity of Katz instruments were used. It was found a predominance of elderly women (59%), mean age of 77, illiterate (55%), white (67%), single (63%), without children (68%) and 30% lived alone and had difficulty to perform daily living activities, which is the main reason for institutionalization. The majority of elderly people (72%) had cardiovascular disease; 80.4% used neuroleptics/ psychotropic drugs, only 2.1% did not use drugs and 23% were independent to perform daily living activities. These seniors require more skilled care, justified by addiction, diseases, risk of complications and medications used.