The aging of the population means that more and more attention is paid to the problems of elderly people. Advanced age is a time when many factors that are unfavorable to human beings accumulate. Prevention or early elimination of them may contribute to the extension of the functional capacity of seniors.

The aim of the work

The aim of the work was to evaluate the functional condition of elderly people hospitalized in the geriatric ward.

Material and methods

The study was conducted at the Specialist Hospital of Henryk Klimontowicz in Gorlice in the Geriatric ward in the period from December 2018 to February 2019.The study was conducted when patients were admitted to the ward. In total,105 patients of both genders participated in the study.The study was based on a self-made questionnaire, Barthel,ADL and IADL scales were used as research tools.

Results

On the Barthel scale, the largest group constituted patients who obtained from 0 to 5 points, so they were characterized by a very low level of functional fitness.According to the IADL scale, the largest group of patients scored from 9 to 11 points, which proves a very low level of independence.There were four statistically significant differences - between eating and getting dressed(p=0.042), using the toilet(p=0.020), controlling urine and stool excretion (p=0.003), and bathing and washing(p=0.003).

Conclusions

The studies show a low level of functional efficiency of older people.In order to prolong their fitness, it is important to undertake physical activity. It is important to conduct a systematic assessment of the functional status of seniors.