[The evaluative cycle of the process of an overall geriatric evaluation program at a health center]

To improve the procedures in an Elderly Persons' Care programme.

A complete evaluative cycle of the care process, with an analysis phase and a phase to implement corrective measures.

Primary care. Ortuella (Bizkaia) Health Centre.

Data on the first 50% on the list of residents over 75 in Ortuella were analysed in this evaluation (n = 249). Residents in elderly people's homes, people passing through and who had recently moved were excluded. In the re-evaluation all those still to be evaluated were analysed once corrective measures had been implemented (n = 81).

After analysis of the first phase, corrective measures were applied, and both the coverage and the correct performance of activities generated in the development of the programme were re-evaluated.

There was similar coverage (72.3 to 66.7%). There was improvement in registration (76.9 to 90.7%), long-treatment card (60 to 85.7%), medicines (42.9 to 75%) and nutritional habits (46.1 to 57.1%). Action taken on visual (93.1 to 75%) and hearing (76 to 71.4%) pathologies deteriorated.

The programme's procedures improved with simple corrective measures (a session concerning proper recording of the history and how to follow the protocol; professionals who controlled registration and coverage). A proper record was important.