The influence assessment of the socio-demographic and medical factors on the level of the functionality skills of geriatric patients

Abstract

The physiopathological changes occurring together with the age advance and joining ailments and discomforts lead to gradual independence limitation, also the one in everyday life, and to functionality skills limitation; lead to the loss of physical and mental safety sense as for the older people. In the group of people of late adulthood the global life quality decreases, especially the one associated with health.

The aim of the study. The aim of the examinations was to make an exact analysis of the influence of the socio-demographic and medical factors on the functionality skills and life quality of the older patients, ones who are chronic patients in the light of the ADL (Activity of Daily Living) scale and FACIT-F (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy) questionnaire examination.

Material and methodology. The examination was carried out by means of diagnostic survey, with the use of survey technique. One used the standardized examination tool to the examinations, a tool that was ADL questionnaire on the basis of Katz scale and FACIT -F questionnaire (Version 4).            In the group there were patients at the age of more than 60; 120 people hospitalized in the Geriatrics Chair and Clinic of the CM in Bydgoszcz.

Results. In the examined group there was 70.5% of people with ADL above 4 points. The high risk of bedsores was noticed at patients with low FACIT index. The underweight patients had lower FACIT -F result than the remaining people (except for the ones in a recumbent position). From the above examination it results that FACIT -F correlates with the chosen ailments, the patients suffering from dehydration achieved, in fact, lower FACIT level than the patients with hypertension, diabetes, body mass loss, and anaemia. Together with the increase of ADL and IADL the level of FACIT increases. The statistical analysis in the model of linear regression confirms the examination results.

Conclusions. The level of functional skills and life quality of the examined group were in the average value limits.

The level of functioning of the examined people and the life quality were not related to socio-demographic factors such as: age, gender, marital status, residence place, material status, and education. The level of functioning of the examined people related to medical and health factors, such as: risk to expose to bedsores, bedsores occurring, self-evaluation of the health state, body mass index – calculated with the help of BMI, type of ailment, ADL and IADL index. The ADL and IADL questionnaire correlated with the level of functional skills and the FACIT -F index.