Vulnerability and quality of life of older persons in the community in different situations of family care

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to correlate socio-contextual aspects, physical vulnerability and quality of life of older persons in the community in different situations of family care. Methods: epidemiological, a cross-sectional and analytical study, with elderly people in the community (n=769), with application of the instruments: Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13), World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older Persons (WHOQOL-OLD) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF); and socio-contextual data questionnaire. Results: the population assessed presented an average of regular quality of life in both the WHOQOL-BREF and the WHOQOL-OLD. Older non-vulnerable persons (62.2%) and those with close family contact (82.6%) have a better quality of life than the vulnerable (p<0.0001). Conclusion: lower quality of life scores and more distant families are related to vulnerable elderly people; thus, the assessment of family proximity and physical vulnerability of older persons is shown to be an important factor in improving quality of life.