[Study with elderly from asylums in Natal/RN: socioeconomic and health characteristics].

The accelerated aging of the Brazilian population will certainly increase the number of institutionalized elderly. Based on this focus, this descriptive and exploratory study was carried out at three asylum institutions in Natal (RN), Brazil, with a view to characterizing the elderly living there, as well as identifying the socioeconomic and health problems and causes that took them to the asylum. The sample consisted of 30% of the total number of elderly in each asylum.