Functional Dependency in the Aged

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Abstract
The development of functional dependency in functionally independent aged in a community was observed by Public Health Nurses over a period of 5 years. Handicaps in the areas of Self-Care, Mobility, and Sphincter Control were chosen for measuring the incidence of dependency as defined. Of the 221 aged persons who entered the study, 38 subsequently left the locality and 45 died. These were observed until leaving or death. The rest, 56 men and 82 women, were observed for the whole 5-year period. Subsequent nonsurvivors constituted, even at the beginning of the study, an older group with higher morbidity who deteriorated functionally at a high rate until death. However, among the 138 survivors who were observed for 5 years the emergence of functional dependency was slow. For the study population as a whole, the 5-year risk of becoming functionally dependent was highest in self-care, reaching 20% in men and 20% in women, and lowest in control of the rectal sphincter, reaching 4% in men and 2% in women.

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