[Cross-cultural adaptation of the Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13): helping in the identification of vulnerable older people].

To use the VES-13 a tool for identifying vulnerable older people cultural adaptation was performed, a process that seeks the equivalence between the original instrument and its version in another culture. The evaluation of semantic, idiomatic, cultural and conceptual equivalence obtained a general average agreement of 78%, 78%, 97.0% and 94.0% respectively. Kappa coefficient was used to verify the agreement in test-retest reliability, where variables were significant. The analysis of internal consistency was measured by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, where 70% of the phenomenon under study are represented in the VES-13. The VES-13, translated and adapted, is a reliable instrument with respect to stability and internal consistency of their measurements. Its simple structure and easy to use may therefore contribute to the identification of vulnerable older people, thus contributing to the prioritization of monitoring health services.