Sleep alterations, including poor sleep quality and prolonged latency, were related to frailty in institutionalized elderly.

The scope of this study was to monitor the access of persons with disabilities and permanent mobility restrictions to the Unified Health System in João Pessoa, State of Pernambuco. This is a descriptive field study, consisting of a random sample of 523 people with disabilities or permanent mobility restrictions. Data collection occurred between August 2007 and December 2008 and consisted of home interviews. The neuromusculoskeletal functions and those related to movement (52%) were among the most affected body functions, with a higher incidence among body structures related to movement (44.2%) and those of the nervous system (39.2%), with special emphasis on the high number of cases (14%) due to the sequelae from strokes. Among the respondents, 63.9% stated that there had not been sufficient and appropriate means to lessen the physical obstacles between their homes and the places where they received healthcare, and 41.7% claimed that there were no special facilities for the handicapped in the healthcare offices. Brazilian law ensures rights for people with disabilities, which were not broadly respected. Action is necessary to prevent the development of disabilities, especially those resulting from the sequelae from strokes.

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Introdução: Perda dentária constitui indicador prévio de envelhecimento acelerado, em particular nos idosos institucionalizados, sendo referencialmente tratada com reabilitações protéticas. Uma das manifestações patológicas do envelhecer que compartilha características com perdas dentárias é a síndrome da fragilidade.Objetivo: Avaliar relação entre uso de prótese total e síndrome da fragilidade em idosos institucionalizados. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com 69 idosos institucionalizados, realizado em João Pessoa-PB, Brasil. Foram utilizados formulário para avaliar saúde bucal, condição protética e testes específicos para variáveis do fenótipo de fragilidade. Na análise estatística foram aplicados testes t-Student e Qui-Quadrado.Resultados: A amostra caracterizou-se pelo predomínio de frágeis (49,3%) e usuários de prótese total (50,7%). Os pré-frágeis e frágeis apresentaram maior prevalência de edentulismo e de uso de prótese total (56,3% e 39,4%, respectivamente). Contudo, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os grupos (p = 0,05). Conclusão: É sugerido que o uso de prótese total não influencia a fragilidade em idosos institucionalizados.

Background: Recent studies indicate that the prevalence of sarcopenia among older adults living in long-term care facilities may be high. The pathophysiological mechanisms of sarcopenia are complex and interdependent. The role of cortisol deserves attention as a possible modulator in the genesis of sarcopenia. The objective this study is to analyze the relationship between sarcopenia and cortisol in older nursing home residents. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted with 70 older people. Sarcopenia was assessed using the EWGSOP2 algorithm and cortisol by saliva collection. The T-test, Chi-squared test and ANOVA statistical analyzes were used (p <0.05). Results: A total of 17.1% of the older adults evaluated were considered sarcopenic. The related variables were older age (p = 0.001); lower body mass index (p = 0.008); lower measurements of brachial circumference (p <0.001), waist (p = 0.011) and hips (p = 0.001). The cortisol levels were higher among the sarcopenic older adults for the three measures throughout the day (p = 0.02), as well as for the derived measures. Conclusion: The higher salivary cortisol levels found in sarcopenic older nursing home residents help to understand the underlying mechanisms of sarcopenia and the healthcare of this public.

Introduction: To analyze the relationship between pain, the fear of falling and functional performance in older people living in a long-stay institution (LSI) in the interior of northeastern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 133 older residents in an LSI in the State of Paraíba. The instruments used for data collection were the Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM), the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Results: Pain was reported by 57.5% of those evaluated, 48% being classified as chronic pain and presenting an average of 25.2 in the GPM. As for physical performance, assessed using the SPPB, the 133 older residents showed moderate to poor performance, with an average of 6.43 (±2.96) on the scale. By correlating the adjusted GPM values with the FES-I, a weak and statistically significant positive correlation was obtained (ρ = 0.31: p < 0.001). Conclusions: It can be concluded that those who reported pain had a worse performance in the applied tests, in addition to having higher scores on the scale referring to a fear of falling.