Family Composition and Funcional Capacity of Coresident Elderly People

Objective: This study searched for identifying the composition of the family setting and the functional capacity of the coresident elderly. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach. The research was performed in a Family Health Unit in the city of Vitória da Conquista - Bahia, and all the coresident elderly were included and they presented cognitive conditions. Sociodemographic data were collected, as well as the evaluation of the functional capacity through the Katz Scale and the Brazil Old Age Schedule questionnaire. The data were tabulated and analyzed using The StatisticalPackage for Social Sciences for Windows, and frequencies, averages and standard deviations of the variables were checked. Results: Participated in the study 125 elderly, mostly female (77.6%), residing with their grandchildren (63.2%) and children (60.8%). Concerning the type of care offered, the company and care were the stood up type (90.1%) and in terms of functional capacity, the largest proportion was considered independent (99.2%). Conclusion: It was possible to identify the coresident elderly family composition and the functional capacity in which they stand, this way supporting the creation of actions orientated to the promotion of better health conditions for the elderly.