The aim of this study was to characterize dependent elderly people and their main family caregivers and the association between functional capacity of the elderly and the burden of caregivers. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 112 elderly people and caregivers connected to a primary care service in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The applied instruments related to care and socioeconomic variables were Physical and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (PADL and IADL) and the Burden Interview. The Spearman correlation coefficient was also used. Average age of the elderly individuals in this study was 81.41 years, while the average score for PADL was 10.36 and 6.25 for IADL. Of the 112 elderly individuals, 71.4% had severe dependence. Among caregivers, 75% were women, 61.6% were the sons or daughters with an average age of 57.98 and an average burden of 29.53, which is equivalent to moderate burden. Results revealed a significant correlation between functional capacity of the elderly and caregiver burden. It was verified that the higher the dependence of elderly people, the greater the burden of caregivers.

Objective:to reveal the felt and normative needs of primary family caregivers when providing instrumental support to older adults enrolled in a Home Care Program in a Primary Health Service in the South of Brazil. Methods:using Bradshaw's taxonomy of needs to explore the caregiver's felt needs (stated needs) and normative needs (defined by professionals), a mixed exploratory study was conducted in three steps: Descriptive quantitative phase with 39 older adults and their caregiver, using a data sheet based on patient records; Qualitative exploratory phase that included 21 caregiver interviews, analyzed by content analysis; Systematic observation, using an observation guide with 16 caregivers, analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results:the felt needs were related to information about instrumental support activities and subjective aspects of care. Caregivers presented more normative needs related to medications care. Conclusion:understanding caregivers' needs allows nurses to plan interventions based on their particularities.

Resumen Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de intervenciones de atención domiciliaria de enfermería sobre la calidad de vida en cuidadores familiares de adultos mayores sobrevivientes de accidentes cerebrovasculares. Método: Ensayo Clínico Aleatorizado, cegado para la evaluación de los desenlaces. Los participantes del estudio fueron 48cuidadores familiares de adultos mayores sobrevivientes de accidentes cerebrovasculares (ACV). El Grupo Intervención recibió tres visitas domiciliarias a cargo de enfermeros un mes después del alta hospitalaria, en las que se les ofreció instrucción relacionada con ACV (es decir, cómo acceder a los servicios de salud y realizar las actividades inherentes a los cuidados) y apoyo emocional. Al Grupo Control se le brindó la orientación habitual de los servicios de salud. La calidad de vida se evaluó mediante el instrumento World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF) y el módulo Old(WHOQOL-OLD) 1semana, 2meses y 1año después del alta. Resultados: en su mayoría, los cuidadores fueron mujeres, hijos o cónyuges. Los cuidadores de los grupos Intervención y Control no presentaron diferencias significativas en términos de su Calidad de Vida general de base. La intervención no ejerció ningún efecto entre la asignación a los grupos y la Calidad de Vida general(p=0,625) con el transcurso del tiempo. Sin embargo, la intervención sí tuvo efecto sobre las Relaciones Sociales (p=0,019) y la Autonomía(p=0,004). Conclusión: la intervención ejerció un efecto estadísticamente significativo sobre la calidad de vida de los cuidadores familiares con respecto a las relaciones sociales y a la autonomía. Registro del ensayo: NCT02807012.

Background: Family caregivers of aged stroke survivors face challenging difficulties such as the lack of support and the knowledge and skills to practice home care. These aspects negatively influence the caregivers' burden and quality of life, the use of health services, and hospital readmissions of the stroke survivor. The aim of this research is to describe an educational intervention focused on family caregivers of stroke survivors for the development of home care in the south of Brazil.

Introduction: Different terms have been used to describe the aging process while avoiding the negative consequences of advanced age. In this context healthy aging assumes a more extensive meaning than the absence of disease, and includes a process of adapting to the changes that occur throughout life, related to the maintenance of a healthy old age. Objective: To describe the meaning of healthy aging for older adults who participated in health education groups in the Basic Health Care Service of Porto Alegre in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Method: A qualitative and descriptive study of older adults who participated in health education groups was performed. The 30 participants answered the question "What is healthy aging for you?" Answers were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Twelve categories emerged during analysis, the most frequent of which were: adopt healthy behavior, have a social and support network, keep active, be healthy, be independent and autonomous, and have positive feelings. Conclusion: Wider meanings of healthy aging were identified, which embrace issues relevant to elderly health, although more individual aspects have been described in relation to aging.