Functional disability of elderly in Thamprakorn home care for the elderly, Chiangmai province

Abstract

This study aims to find out the proportion of the functional disability among elderly in Thamprakorn home, the level of severity and factors associated with functional disability, by interviewing all subjects in the selected area during October to November 1991. Total population are 161, 81 for male and 80 for female. The age range averages from 60 to 93, average ages is 77 years old. The study shows that the proportion of functional disability in basic activity of daily living (BADL) was 27% and for instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) was 69%. In terms of severity we discovered that; dependent in one or more activities in BADL was 11%, 16% need assistance at least in one activity and dependent at least in one activity was 34.2%. For IADL dependent in one or more activities was 45%, need assistance at least in one activity was 28%, and dependent at least in one activity was 59%. It was confirmed that there was statistical significant difference between ages, duration of stay in home care, social function, and depression in dependence and independence in IADL (p < 0.05). Factors associated with BADL were sex, health perception, using assistive device, having th edisease and hemiplegia. On the other hand IADL factors were education, quickwalk, using assisted device, osteoarthritis and hemiplegia. The probable factors that may influence in basic functional activity might be hemiplegia, sex and health perception, and we also found that osteoarthritis was associated with instrumental activity.