Assessment of the psycho-physical condition of elderly primary care patients from the Lower Silesian province

<ns3:p>Background. A contemporary social, medical and social problem, primarily affectingdeveloped countries, is population aging. Old age is the final stage of human life,in which biological, psychological and social changes occur. They affect a person’spsycho-physical state and ability to perform basic life activities, which can contributeto dependence on third-party care and reduced quality of life for seniors.Objective of the study. To evaluate the relationship between psycho-physical conditionand fitness in the elderly.Material and methods: A group of 112 PCP patients was analyzed. The selectionof the sample was random. Inclusion criteria were age ≥65 years and the absence ofsignificant cognitive impairment. The study used a proprietary questionnaire on sleepquality, chronic diseases, medications taken, leisure activities, daily activities andmemory problems, as well as the Lawton (IADL), Yesavag (GDS) and EdmontonSymptom Assessment System (ESAS) scales.Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis. A significance level of p ˂ 0.05 was assumed, andanalyses were performed using SPSS software.Results. The study group was predominantly female (75.9%), with the majority inthe 65-69 age range (57.1%). Most suffered from hypertension (65.2%), did not takemedication for depression (87.5%) and anxiety (78.6%) and sleep problems (59.8%). Most seniors had no difficulty remembering (58.9%), managed money without assistance(84.8%), were able to take medication (80.3%), use the telephone (75.9%), go tothe store on their own (68.7%), prepare meals (63.4%) and perform basic householdchores (50.9%). On the GDS scale, the majority declared that they were usually cheerful(89.3%) and felt happy (87.5%). Based on the GDS, 72.3% of respondents werefound to have no symptoms of depressed mood. Seniors complained of experiencingmild pain (45.6%), and rated their well-being as average (22.3%).Conclusions. With age, the performance of seniors in performing complex activitiesof daily living declines. The severity of depressive symptoms contributes to decreasedperformance in performing complex activities of daily living and is closely related tothe presence of pain, anxiety and shortness of breath. Higher dexterity is demonstratedby those who live in cities, have secondary/higher education and are married or single.</ns3:p>