Functional capacity assessment of long-lived older adults from Amazonas

Objective:To evaluate the functional capacity of long-lived older adults from Amazonas. Method: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out with 116 older adults aged 80 years or older, registered in a primary health care unit in Belem, in the state of Para, Brazil. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used for functional capacity assessment and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive screening. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out, in addition to the Pearson's chisquare test. Results: The older adults presented modified independence in the self-care, sphincter control and locomotion dimensions, and needed supervision for mobility/transfers. In mobility, men presented complete independence. Modified independence was found in the 80-89 age group. It was observed that, the lower the education level, the worse the cognitive performance. Conclusion: In spite of their advanced age, long-lived older adults still present functional capacity for activities of daily living, even though they required supervision for high energy expenditure tasks, such as mobility and transfers.