Cognitive assessment of elderly people in long-stay institutions: a cross-sectional study

Aim: To evaluate the cognition of elderly residents in long-term institutions and the association of cognitive status to sociodemographic variables and the domain of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Method: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study. Data were collected from 161 elderly, using the MMSE, between January and March 2013 and were analyzed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: 39.8% of the elderly had cognitive impairment, and worse cognitive performance occurred in females. The domains of the MMSE had a statistically significant association with cognitive decline, and orientation, attention, and calculation and evoked memory had greater influence on the presence of cognitive impairment. Conclusion: MMSE is a practical tool for cognitive evaluation of the elderly, and it can guide nursing interventions in order to foster standardization of the goals to be achieved in the attention to the institutionalized elderly. Descriptors: Health of Institutionalized Elderly; Cognition; Homes for the Aged; Geriatric Nursing; Aged.