Objective: to reflect on the integration of Leininger's Transcultural and Heller's daily life theories in the support of the care of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease. Method: reflection study guided by the researchers' perceptions, when understanding, in the development of actions, the convergence between the theories. As the procedures, studies about the theme in the fields of nursing and social work were analyzed. Results: text organized in two parts: "Cultural Care of the elderly with Alzheimer's Disease" and "The Daily Care of the elderly with Alzheimer's Disease". The respect for cultural aspects and immediate problems resolution of the elderly with Alzheimer's Disease are interdisciplinary actions integrated in the context of care, from the assumptions of Leininger and Heller, in this scenario used as a foundation for improving the care of patients. Conclusions and Implications for practice: the interdisciplinarity of care in Heller and Leininger is explained by the approximation to the social context, with common elements. Together, these theories provide the best response in promoting the well-being of the elderly with Alzheimer's Disease and its related surrounding. The theories congruence implies an integral and solid care, involves concrete action, based on different assumptions, which strengthen when they come together, benefiting patient and caregivers, with an individualized and differentiated care.

Stress can impact human health in multiple ways. Among the Background: related mechanisms are the hormonal systems of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which produces cortisol. Current research aims to evaluate the relationship between the daily variation of salivary cortisol dosages and the level of stress in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).A sociodemographic questionnaire was applied to 25 caregivers, as Methods: well as the 36 Item Short-Form Health Survey and Beck's Depression Inventory. In the 25 patients of the caregivers, the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living of the patient and Clinical Dementia Rating were assessed. Saliva samples were collected to assess the cortisol level of the caregivers three times over one day for each caregiver, (morning, afternoon and evening) to investigate the correlation of the aforementioned questionnaires with the age and degree of kinship among caregivers of elderly patients to investigate the correlation with the results of the previously described tests, and the age and degree of relatedness of caregivers and elderly patients.There was a significant positive correlation between daily cortisol Results: levels and increasing caregiver age. However, the daily dosage of salivary cortisol was not significantly associated with the stress level of the caregivers of patients with AD, suggesting that this is not a good neuroendocrine marker of response to mood disorders. This fact can be related to intrinsic and extrinsic factors to the caregiver.Compared with previous studies that correlate cortisol and Conclusions: 2018, 7:672 Last updated: 18 JAN 2019 factors to the caregiver.Compared with previous studies that correlate cortisol and Conclusions: stress in humans, our findings suggest that the stress mechanism may be more complex and depend on more factors than the levels of this hormone. Thus, further work is required to delineate possible cortisol modulators, as well as the type of stress that target this population and their ability to adapt and face adversity in their work. Keywords

Neste artigo discutimos relatos produzidos por meio de histórias de vida em grupo focal de cuidadoras e cuidadores de idosos e idosas com Alzheimer no interior do sul do Brasil e sua relação com construções históricas de gênero e geração. Ao considerar a obtenção de relatos a partir de história oral como documentos provocados que estão ligados com as vivências contemporâneas da institucionalização de cuidados, consideramos o envelhecimento a partir de uma perspectiva ampla que abriga não apenas processos individuais. O entrecruzamento de relatos e categorias gênero e geração sugerem a permanência de papéis historicamente constituídos ligados ao cuidado de pessoas idosas.