title: [Screening the risk for functional loss: a basic strategy for organizing the elderly health care network].
abstract: From a critical analysis of experiments in the use of screening tools for functional loss in the elderly, it was observed that the main motivation to develop and implement a screening instrument is to improve health care for the frail elderly or those at risk of functional loss and repeated hospital admissions. The instruments are preferably short questionnaires with no more than 16 self-reported questions. The main intervention performed after screening was monitoring the elderly by a specialized nursing service that, when necessary, referring them to the medical service. The results of this approach included the reduction of functional loss, hospital admissions, deaths, lower health expenses and greater consumer satisfaction.
authors.forename: Célia Pereira
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Caldas
authors.forename: Renato Peixoto
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Veras
authors.forename: Luciana Branco
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: da Motta
authors.forename: Kenio Costa
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Cynthia Beatriz Silveira
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Kisse
authors.forename: Cláudia Valéria Moreno
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Trocado
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Lima Cavaletti
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Guerra
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires