SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF ELDERLY

Abstract

Relational descriptive study aimed to asses elderly self esteem and social functioning according to the social roles, through their personal and caregiver perceptions and the family functional perception. The sample included 300 elders and the caregivers from Primary Care Centers in the city of Concepción, Chile. It was applied an inquest at home with 3 scales: the Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule; the Smilkeinstein Family Functioning scale and the Rosenberg self esteem test. Results: 51% of elders and 84% report a high self esteem. The functioning familiar perception of them is at 84%, that corresponds to a high level of perception. It was not found estatistically significant difference in social functioning perception between self esteem of elder and the evaluation made by the caregiver. It is important to say that is a high consistence between both measures. Correlation of 74%. About the relation between the self social function report of elders and self esteem scale, it was founded a positive correlation. The better the social functioning in the self report, the better the self esteem. The same phenomenon was observed between the elders self reporting social functioning and the APGAR family functioning perception scale. The results of this study could be considered by health professionals so that in working with elders and theirs families, the independence, the functioning and quality of life, could be increased