Author(s)

Francisca Patrícia Barreto de Carvalho^1*, Glauber Weder dos Santos Silva², Clélia Albino Simpson², Ana Géssica Costa Martins¹, Narjara Beatriz Queiroz da Silva¹, Mônica Gisele Costa Pinheiro², João Evangelista da Costa², Lucídio Clebeson de Oliveira¹, Amélia Carolina Lopes Fernandes¹, Francisco Arnoldo Nunes de Miranda²

¹State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, Brazil.
²Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.

To analyze the cognitive ability of elderly people assisted by the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in a northeastern Brazilian city, a cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 406 elderly assisted by the FHS in Mossoro-RN, Brazil, from March to May 2014. The data were collected through two validated questionnaires. For the data analysis, the Alpha Cronbach’s, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square and Pearson correlation statistical tests were applied. There was a predominance of women (67.98%) in the survey. Among the respondents, 50% had an index of up to 27 points in Pfeffer Instrument, identifying greater degree of dependence in performing instrumental daily activities related to mobility in the community (39.7%) and financial management (57.1%). On Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), 75% of seniors had an index above 27 points, with the scores classification as standard (50.99%), mild (25.12%), moderate (22.66%) and severe (1.23%). Although changes have been identified in cognitive performance and independence of elderly people in some areas, these difficulties do not completely affect the lives and daily activities of the elderly.

Primary Health Care, Geriatric Assessment, Cognitive Aging, Geriatric Nursing

de Carvalho, F.P.B., dos Santos Silva, G.W., Simpson, C.A., Martins, A.G.C., da Silva, N.B.Q., Pinheiro, M.G.C., da Costa, J.E., de Oliveira, L.C., Fernandes, A.C.L. and de Miranda, F.A.N. (2016) Cognitive Ability in Elderly in a City in Northeastern Brazil: An Analytical Study. Open Journal of Nursing, 6, 712-721. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2016.69073.