Cuidadores de idosos com doença de Alzheimer : uma revisão do perfil

Abstract

The growth in the number of elderly in Brazil and worldwide, has as consequence the increase of neurodegenerative diseases, among them Alzheimer's disease. This disease is characterized by memory loss, motor function, and over time can lead to dependence to perform daily tasks, generating the need for a caregiver to perform these activities. This caregiver requires knowledge and skills related to nursing care to perform well in this role. Given this aspect, the objective of this study was to verify in the scientific publications of our country, information that reveals the profile of caregivers of elderly people with Alzheimer's Disease, through the literature review, held in January 2010, in the databases. SciELO and VHL (Virtual Health Library) from 2014 to 2018 in Brazil. Twelve articles were selected, of which 7 from the SciELO portal and 5 from the VHL. 441 caregivers of elderly patients with Alzheimer's were analyzed. It was found that 90.24% of caregivers are informal. Regarding gender, 83.13% are female. The average age was 50 years old and 51.05% of the participants were 8 to 11 years old. It concludes with this work, the lack of national research on the profile of caregivers of elderly people specifically with Alzheimer's, and how important is the role of nurses in guiding and training these people involved in the care process of these elderly.