[Assessment of the level of independence of elderly residents in long-term care institutions].

Long-term care institutions shelter a large number of dependent elderly, although dependence is not the sine qua non condition for elderly institutionalization. This study aimed at identifying the independence level for the performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) of elderly residents in long-term care institutions in the city of Taubaté, State of São Paulo, according to an evaluation based on Katz's Index of Independence in ADLs. The first assessment was conducted in December of 2001 with all residents aged 60 or more (139 females and 48 males). Seventy subjects were considered independent for ADLs, 52 of them aged between 70 and 89. The second assessment, performed in May of 2002, revealed that 53 subjects remained independent for ADLs. The results corroborate previous studies that point to a decline in the independence level of institutionalized elderly subjects.