The relationship between the cognitive functions, daily activities, and mobility levels of elderly people living in a nursing home compared with those in a house environment

Objective: The aim of the present research was to determine the relationship between the cognitive functions and daily activities and mobility levels of elderly people living either in a nursing home or in a house environment. Methods: The present study includes 59 elderly individuals living in a house environment and 70 elderly individuals living in a nursing home. The Standardized Mini Mental Test (SMMT), the Barthel Index, and the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) were applied to sociodemographic data of the study participants. Results: The cognitive status of the elderly people living in a nursing home was found to be lower than that of elderly people living in a house environment (P < .05). A relationship was found between the sex, educational status, use of an auxiliary device, the RMI, and the SMMT in the elderly people living in a nursing home (P < .05). In the elderly people living in a house environment, no statistically significant relationship was found between the SMMT, RMI, and the Barthel Index, whereas a relationship was found between the SMMT and the level of education (P < .05). Conclusion: The results indicate that sociodemographic characteristics are related to cognitive functions in elderly people 65 years or older. It was found that the individuals with low cognitive functions prefer living in a nursing home.