Autocuidado do cuidador familiar de adultos ou idosos dependentes após a alta hospitalar: uma contribuição para o cuidado de enfermagem

Abstract

The object of this research study was self-care of the family who cares for a adult or elder dependent care after discharge from treatment related chronic diseases or conditions. The objective was to understand the family self-care according to the concept of self Dorothea Orem, seeking to identify the advantages and difficulties of family caregivers to perform self-care while taking care of the dependent relative, as well as the strategies used by this to achieve the care and to relieve the tension of the possible role of caregiver. Adopted as methodological approach Grounded Theory supported the Symbolic Interactionism. The study was conducted in two steps, involving two different scenarios: the clinical inpatient units of a public teaching hospital in Minas Gerais, in which subjects were selected, even during hospitalization and home environment after release. The study included 11 adults with preserved insight, residents in the county seat of research, caregivers of a family member who, after release, showed levels of dependency to self-care between 2 and 4 according to the rating scale proposed by Carpenito Moyet. Techniques were used to nursing and home visit and with direct observation, record notes in field diary and semistructured interview. Was used the OpenLogos® program for editing text of empirical data, allowing the encoding, and interpretation of data triangulation. It reached four main categories: "Being the caregiver family", "Encouragement to self-care when the care context is the family", "Life, health and self-care components of family caregiver", that was in the main category of the study, and "Aspects related to health and nursing care". The central category of the study addressed the factors that hindered the completion of the caregiver self-care, such as lack of time and trouble to find people available to relay of care. This category showed that when the difficulties of the self-care implied not performing, directly influencing the health-disease process of the caregiver. Was evident the tension of caregiver role related to insufficient time for rest, leisure, health care, social isolation, inadequate finances, apprehension about the future and lack of support within and outside the family. The main strategies adopted by caregivers to perform self-care were searching for: support the "faith in God," in relay care by other family members or friends and community resources, such as the acquisition of equipment that would aid in the care of dependent family and diminish household expenditures, as a bath-chair, for example. It was concluded that the resources of the Health System represent support for the caregiver and the implementation of public policies for home care should include attention to family caregivers. The guidelines to the caregiver upon release contribute to caregiver tension relief and monitoring nursing after release by means of educational practices of individualized care planning, aiming to support and education, contributes to the family caregiver to develop self-care by acting on his difficulties with stimulus to their potential.