Profile of caregivers of institutionalized elders

Abstract

Introduction: The aging process of the population causes several transformations in social, cultural and health context. The demand for gerontological care increases and, due to that, homes for the aged emerge as an alternative housing for elders who do not have enough support at this new life stage or for those whoopt to live there.Objective: This study aimed at describing the profile of caregivers of elderly people who live in homes for the aged in the metropolitan regionof João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.Method: This is a descriptive, exploratory and quantitative research that was carried out between November/2012 and January/2014 in 11 institutions, composed by a sample of 26 caregivers. Two semistructured questionnaires were used for data collection; Word Excel 2007 was used for selection and categorization of the data and SPSS was used fordescriptive analysis. Results:The age range of the caregivers was between 25 and 82 years old. 88.5% are female; 38.5% are married; 19.23% of them reported receiving specific education to become caregivers and most of them (69.23%) did not acquire any sort of qualification. Conclusion:It is concluded that the hiring and qualification of caregivers is necessary for the direct work with the institutionalized elderly, which will greatly influence the assistance to be provided in these institutions, resulting in improving the health of all older people living there.

Tracking of Common Mental Disorder in Carers of Adults and Elderly Institutionalized in Southeast Goiano

“…Dentre os achados, a feminização do cuidado se destacou como um ponto importante. Ao longo dos anos, culturalmente e socialmente, as mulheres são impostas no papel de cuidadoras, tanto no seu âmbito familiar quanto no institucional, onde o homem é responsável pelas atividades fora de casa, o provedor do lar, e a mulher às atividades domésticas (LIMA et al, 2016;ZENG et al, 2019;MELO et al, 2022).…”

Atividades desempenhadas pelo cuidador destinadas ao idoso institucionalizado: revisão integrativa

“…Historicamente, ao longo dos anos, as mulheres exercem o papel principal de cuidador da família e dos filhos, seja no ambiente familiar ou institucional, o que pode inclusive contribuir para a humanização do cuidado. Percebe-se que esse aspecto é tão forte que, por vezes, ele é atribuído à mulher quase como uma obrigação, pois cabe ao homem o lugar de provedor do lar e à mulher exercer o ato de cuidar (Lima et al, 2016;Maciel et al, 2021;Zeng et al, 2019;Ziesemer et al, 2020).…”

“It is all About Giving Priority to Older Adults’ Needs:” Challenges of Formal Caregivers in Two Old Age Homes in Ethiopia

“…Similar studies in South Africa and Brazil found that formal caregivers of older adultss working in long-term care settings as paraprofessionals do not have adequate training. They are easily hired, without any screening for physical and emotional prerequisites for their older adults caregiving duties (Lima et al, 2016;Mehta & Leng, 2017;Ngubeni, 2011). Formal caregivers in developing nations likewise face poor personal care (Mehta & Leng, 2017), deteriorated physical and emotional well-being (Goh et al, 2013), and struggles with eating and sleeping (Czuba, 2015).…”

“…Though Cattell (1993) called attention to waning family supports in Sub-Saharan Africa nearly 30 years ago, organized care and social services for older adults remain lacking. Elders who have care needs that exceed the capabilities of their families or who lack family support will increase the demand for residential long-term care (Lima et al, 2016).…”