The objectives of this study are to describe the profile of people interned in a clinical unit and to identify their dependence on nursing care in hospital admission. It is a descriptive research by means of clinical inquiry and documental analysis of 150 elderly people of Campos City, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from March to June of 2006. Descriptive statistics were applied to the data, providing the following information: 28.6% of the subjects are between 60 and 66 years of age, with 72.6% of these male; 52.06% are from the north region and were interned with multiple pathologies. Concerning the care: 36.6% of the subjects depended on an intermediate; 33.3% required minimum care; 26.0% needed semi-intensive; and 04.0% required intensive care. This evaluation of dependence on nursing care revealed that people were clinically stable, but partially dependent upon care for their human necessities. It was concluded that occupation of hospital beds by the elderly signals the necessity for public health policies to favor the maintenance of elderly health, seeking healthy aging and avoiding the search for outside attention.
Geriatrics; Health of the elderly; Hospital care
