Abstract
Objective: Assess the degree of independence of the elderly in a long-term institution in carrying out basic activities of daily living and correlate with their socio-demographic profile. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach. The study was conducted with 24 elderly people, of both genders, living in a long-term institution in a city in Minas Gerais. Data were collected by applying a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Katz scale, to measure the Basic Activities of Daily Living. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: The sample, aged between 60 and 95 years, had a male majority (54.2%), single (71%), illiterate (83%), who did not have children (71%). In assessing the performance of basic activities of daily living, it was found that the majority of the elderly were independent (54.2%), followed by dependents (37.5%) and partially dependent (8.3%). Among the six items evaluated, only in dressing, most were dependent (54.2%). Conclusion: It was concluded that in the assessment of functional capacity, men presented more positive data of independence than women, and most of the independents were below the age of 80 years.