Instruments Used in the Assessment of Functional Capacity, Frailty and Sarcopenia in the Elderly: Integrative Review

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the knowledge produced in the scientific literature on the instruments used to assess functional capacity, frailty, and sarcopenia in older adults. Method: integrative literature review, in the Cinahl, MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases, from 2012-2021. Data were extracted: authors, year, country of publication, type of study, sample characteristics, objective, results, and instruments. In addition, the methodological quality and level of evidence were assessed. Results: The final sample included 13 articles. The most used instruments were Lawton and Brody Index for functional capacity assessment; conceptual model of the frailty phenotype; and the conceptualization and diagnosis of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia. Conclusion: The scientific evidence demonstrated the importance of using instruments to screen for these conditions that can interfere with the health of the elderly population, reinforcing the need to strengthen interprofessional care practices.