Perceptions of elderly people who care for other elderly people in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective To identify the perception of older adults who are caregivers for other older adults about the care offered, as well as the strategies for coping with difficulties in this process from the perspective of Coping Theory in the context of COVID-19. Method This is a henomenological study, with elderly people and participants in the Universidade Aberta à Maturidade, Program of the State University of Paraíba. Data collection instruments were a sociodemographic questionnaire, and semi-structured script. Interviews were carried out via video call and the data was evaluated by Content Analysis. Results 17 elderly caregivers aged between 60 and 79 years participated. Three thematic categories were listed: 1) Difficulties faced during the pandemic period; 2) Coping strategies used during the pandemic; 3) Needs for improvement in the performance of the caregiver role. Conclusion we found evidence of increased stress, presence of anxiety and risk of overload. In these circumstances, the participants developed coping strategies through education, use of social networks and seeking support.