Functional studies in 79-year-olds. I. Performance in hygiene activities

Abstract

In the longitudinal population study '70-year-old people in Goteborg' (H 70) at the second follow-up in 1980-81, 112 women and 93 men were examined concerning their hygiene abilities such as visiting the toilet and taking a bath. These elderly people were interviewed about their locomotor function, needs of technical aids and personal assistance available at home. An examination of their functional ability was performed in accordance with a standardized test in two bathrooms, one with a bathtub and the other one with a shower area. Recordings of heart rate and subjectively perceived exertion were made during the test. Almost all were able to stand in front of the washbasin when washing themselves. Climbing in, sitting down and getting out of the bathtub required relatively high levels of effort, and almost one in five had difficulties. Only a few subjects needed personal assistance for getting out of the bathtub. There were large intraindividual variations of heart rate and perceived exertion in the various tasks. More than three of four took advantage of the handrails next to the bathtub during the test compared to one third of the subjects having handrails at home. Two thirds of the subjects had at least one technical aid in the bathroom, the most common technical aid in the bathroom was a 'non-slip' mat in the bathtub. The importance of designing products and adapting the environment corresponding to the functional capacity of the elderly is emphasized.