Autocuidado universal praticado por idosos em uma institui？？o de longa permanência

objective: to describe the actions of the universal self-care in institutionalized elderly focusing on health promotion. methods: quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study carried out in a long-term institution in fortaleza-ce, with 170 elderly. data were collected from february to june 2010, through interviews using a structured questionnaire from the requirements of the universal self-care of orem. results: 65.8% (112) of the elderly were aged 60-79 years, 54.1% (92) were female, 28.9% (49) were widowed, 64.8% (110) had education up to primary school and 44.2% (75) had monthly income less than minimum wage. some older neglected in some aspects of self-care with regard to oxygen, moisture, and health promotion activities. this lack of self-care may be associated with physical limitations inherent in the life cycle, the knowledge deficit and the low purchasing power. conclusions: it is necessary to develop activities for leisure and exercise in this population, since these actions are considered important for health promotion and social interaction.