Cuidador familiar de idoso dependente: vivências de cuidar em contexto domiciliar e implicações para a Enfermagem

Abstract

With the aging population and increased incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, cognitive impairment and impaired functional capacity, dependence on care in the home becomes an important public health problem. The object of this research study was based on experiences and experiences of caring for dependent elderly by caregivers in the home context, focusing on practices are family caregivers who had higher levels of burden and emotional distress in this role. This study aimed to analyze the experiences of caring for elderly dependents in the household for a family caregiver to present overload and emotional distress in the role. This is a research paper with mixed methodological approach, which adopted methodological criteria of quantitative research and qualitative research. In a first step, we developed a case study descriptive and exploratory, to characterize the group of family caregivers of dependent elderly linked to the Clinic of Geriatrics and Gerontology HU / UFJF, as well as to assess the level of burden and emotional distress presented for these families. The second stage consisted of a qualitative research, which adopted the Grounded Theory (GT) to understand the process of care performed by family with different socio-cultural patterns. The research had two scenarios, the outpatient geriatrics and gerontology and home environment. Were included in the first stage 27 family caregivers of older adults with partial dependency or important and in the second stage nine of these caregivers. The results of the case study indicated that the caregivers of the elderly are mostly women, daughters, aged 40-49 years married or in a stable, in Class C, with other business than to take care of abandoned and leisure activities. Regarding the overhead rate, the subjects showed a predominance of moderate to severe overhead and 44.5% had emotional discomfort. In the qualitative phase was reached four main categories: "Becoming a Caregiver", "The experience of being caregiver of dependent elderly", which constituted the core category of the study, "resulting demands of caring for a dependent elderly family "and" Search for support and training.” The central category that allows us to understand the experiences of the family as a caregiver have positives and negatives. Regarding the positive aspects stood out positive feelings in relation to the dependent relative, as affection, solidarity and gratification, the moments of interaction between caregiver and dependent elderly and maintaining self-esteem in situations of difficulty and commitment of their own conditions health. Regarding the negative aspects experienced by the caregiver was identified the abandonment of work to care, to love life taking a second plane, the impairment of social activities, especially leisure, changes in the health - illness, difficulties in relation to sleep and rest and constant presence of negative feelings in their daily lives. With the development of this study, is expected to contribute to the activities of monitoring and support of family caregivers, especially through educational activities of nursing and interdisciplinary team to meet the individual needs of each caregiver, helping to reduce the burden on him. Besides contributing to the dependent elderly SUS user receives a resolute and humane treatment through a structured family environment to support it.