An important consequence of aging is the increase of functional dependency and risk of falls in elderly. This study had an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional design and aimed to correlate the risk of falls with the functional autonomy in the institutionalized elderly in the city of Teresina, state of Piaui, Brazil. It was conducted in three long-term institutions, with 47 seniors. The research instruments were the Berg balance scale (BBS) and Katz index. It was observed that females had a worse average functional performance when compared to males (34.95 ± 16.22 vs 47.07 ± 11.67; p <0.01) and positively and strongly correlated between the scores of BSE and the Katz index (r = 0.735 and p <0.001). There was strong correlation between the two scales in the study, ie, the better the result of the Berg balance scale, the best performance in basic activities of daily living and vice versa.
Mobility Limitation; Postural Balance; Aged; Health of Institutionalized Elderly; Risk of Falls
