Capacidades intrínsecas e avaliação multidimensional da pessoa idosa na Atenção Primária à Saúde: interfaces com a fonoaudiologia

Abstract

The Multidimensional Assessment of the older person is a central strategy in Primary Health Care (PHC), enabling the early identification of functional, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that impact autonomy and functionality in old age. In line with national and international guidelines, this interdisciplinary approach has gained a new conceptual framework based on the proposal of the World Health Organization, which began to guide aging care based on the concept of intrinsic capacity, understood as the set of physical and mental capacities mobilized throughout the course of life. Objective: To identify the speech-language pathology aspects present in the assessment instruments for the older person used in PHC and to analyze their intersection with the domains of intrinsic capacity. Method: This is a qualitative, documentary, and interpretive study based on the analysis of four instruments recommended for use in PHC: Rapid multidimensional assessment fron Primary Care book No19, IVCF-20, AMPI-AB, and ICOPE. The data were extracted and organized into descriptive tables, categorized according to the five domains of intrinsic capacity (cognition, sensory functions, vitality, psychological state, and locomotion) and according to the areas of Speech-Language Pathology practice: language, audiology, orofacial motor skills, and voice. Results: The analyzed instruments address speech-language pathology aspects in four of the five domains of intrinsic capacity, with the exception of the psychological domain. The presence of items related to language, audiology (auditory and vestibular function), and orofacial motor skills, especially chewing and swallowing, stands out. However, a lack of systematic strategies for voice screening was observed, as well as the non-incorporation of communication as a specific domain, despite its transversality. Conclusion: Speech-Language Pathology is integrated in a relevant, but heterogeneous way, into the assessment instruments for older adults in Primary Health Care, showing direct alignment with four domains of intrinsic capacity. The failure to identify speech-language pathology changes early can compromise functionality and accelerate functional decline, reinforcing the importance of speech-language pathology intervention in promoting healthy aging and comprehensive care centered on the older person.