Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: to understand the phenomenon concerning the change in life and routine of elderly family caregivers who care for dependent elderly family members in Brazil. Method: qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, developed with 33 elderly family caregivers, from June to September 2019, in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Araranguá, Manaus, Fortaleza and Teresina. Semi-structured interviews were conducted based on the theme of care, facilitating circumstances and difficulties. The analysis of the information was guided by the theoretical-methodological framework of hermeneutics-dialectics. Results: a comprehensive model of the experience of being an elderly caregiver of a dependent elderly family member. This process was part of two categories: "Assuming care" and "Unmet needs". The facilitating circumstances to assume care were positive emotions and bonds with the older person, acceptance of the disease, stable clinical status and support from health professionals, formal caregivers, domestic employees and family support. The difficulties were when the behavior of the dependent elderly becomes aggressive, experiencing loneliness, poor health, social isolation, financial restrictions and absence of social and health support. Conclusion: elderly caregivers are important agents in the exercise of care for the dependent elderly. When they have support, they can perform the care activities and have time to take care of themselves. However, for the most part, these people give up their lives, withdraw from the labor market, isolate themselves and suffer from the lack of material resources and support from health services.
Highlights
The phenomenon of aging is rapidly evolving at the global level
Thirty-three elderly family caregivers participate in this study - in eight municipalities in the five Regions of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Belo Horizonte (MG), Porto Alegre (RS), Araranguá (SC), Brasília (DF), Fortaleza (CE), Teresina (PI) and Manaus (AM), and was called: “Situational Study of Dependent Elderly living with their Families Aiming to Support a Care Policy and Support to Caregivers”
12 elderly caregivers alternated the care of their elderly relatives with another person, as five had a formal caregiver and cleaner
Summary
In Brazil, population projections tend to reduce young people and the progression of the elderly contingent in the coming decades[1] Due to this trend, the occurrence of diseases and the need for long-term care are increasing[2]. Studies indicate that elderly caregivers denote fragile health, physical, emotional, financial overload, social isolation and greater self-perception of stress[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11] In this context, elderly family caregivers deserve attention in health services, because health problems can precipitate an interruption of care and result in hospitalizations or admissions to Long-Term Care Institutions (LSI)
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