The evaluation of care needs in elderly people: the use of Geriatric Functional Evaluation Questionnaire

The evaluation of the demand for assistance requires instruments and procedures scientifically validated as being effective. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a survey on the demand for assistance by a sector of the population, with an approach based on validated instruments and standardised procedures. The survey was carried out on a sample of 1,245 elderly persons (610 in Rome and 635 in Viterbo), who represent the over sixty-five year olds, resident in the Local Health Authority Roma D area and in the Local Health Authority of Viterbo. All the subjects were given the questionnaire for the Geriatric Functional Evaluation (GFE). Around 30% of over sixty-five year olds needs assistance. The Final Brief Evaluation indicates that 8% (CL 95%: 7.2-8.8) of the people interviewed need health and social services at the time of the study, and 20.6% more (CL95%: 19.5-21.7), should be carefully monitored in order to provide supportive, even if only social, services. Around 20.7% (CL95% 19.6-21.8) suffers from neurological pathologies and is characterised by a reduced functional capacity, as pointed out by the Multiple Correspondence Analysis. The combination of neuropathy and need of physical rehabilitation service is relevant part of the need for assistance. The approach used makes it possible to find out about situations of frailty in advance, so that a suitable plan of assistance in the area surveyed is possible.