Non-institutionalized dependent older adults present high morbidity and mortality, demand care from their families, and consume primary health care resources. To expand knowledge about this group, we conducted a population-based one-year prospective cohort study of 130 non-institutionalized dependent older persons (age 60 and older), stratified according to baseline mobility: independent walking (group A), use of walking aids (group B), and bedridden or confined to a wheelchair (group C). The outcomes analysed were death, hospitalization, and mobility disability. Total mortality was 8.5 per cent (p = .05). Overall hospitalization rate was 34.6 per cent; the main causes were stroke and pneumonia. After one year, there was a decline in the proportion of subjects classified as independent walking (57% vs. 43%; p = .03). We conclude that there was a high rate of mortality and hospitalization in this group of dependent older people, and an increase in disability after a one-year follow-up.
