Introduction:

Aging is a physiological process that causes characteristic changes and geriatric alterations that can lead to frailty.

Objective:

To characterize fragile elderlies from a nursing perspective.

Methods:

Descriptive and cross-sectional study with 96 elderlies, from Dr. Rudesindo Antonio García del Rijo Outpatient Polyclinic in Sancti Spíritus Municipality, between September 2016 and January 2017. The variables studied were sex, age, care, dispensary group, family functioning and affectations according to geriatric scale. The information was obtained from their individual and family health records, by the application of the geriatric functional scale and the family functioning test (FF-SIL). The association between categorical variables was analyzed.

Results:

The male sex predominated (57.29%), together with the age group 70-79 years (40.62%) and the dispensary group III (60.41%). With respect to the geriatric functional evaluation, the dependence on the use of medication prevailed (94.79%). Regarding family functioning in frail elderlies, functional families prevailed (46.87%).

Conclusions:

Fragile elderlies studied from a nursing perspective have been characterized predominantly by men, disperse with some chronic disease, mainly dependent on the use of medication and laundry, acceptable nursing care and as members of functional families.

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