Adaptación pictográfica de la escala de Lawton y Brody auto evaluable en el adulto mayor

Abstract

During the aging process, changes occur that affect various areas of the body, leading to a decrease in physical function and motor ability. These changes can restrict or reduce the ability to perform activities of daily living, especially the more complex ones, known as instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). These include tasks such as using the telephone, housekeeping, preparing meals, shopping, doing laundry, managing finances, taking medication, and using public transportation. Therefore, there is a need to assess functionality in the elderly population using the LawtonBrody Scale, a widely recognized instrument for measuring people's ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The functionality of elderly people from four cantons belonging to the province of Tungurahua was assessed, which is particularly important because this region, like many others, faces a progressive demographic aging. This implies that more and more people will reach advanced ages, and therefore, it is crucial to identify possible functional impairments early. This will allow the design and implementation of interventions aimed at improving their quality of life and maintaining their autonomy for as long as possible. The research identified the need to implement a modification of the scale to facilitate selfassessment of functionality. For this reason, it is very important to adapt the Lawton-Brody Scale pictographically, which would allow the elderly population to self-assess in a more accessible and understandable way, in this way they can know their functional status and request help in time if necessary. The use of simple visual representations of the activities to be assessed is especially beneficial for those people with cognitive difficulties or reading limitations, as it reduces comprehension barriers and promotes a more intuitive assessment. This adaptation not only facilitates the direct participation of older adults in their own assessment, but would also improve the accuracy of the results by better reflecting their personal perception of their functional abilities.