Percepções de idosos institucionalizados sobre o viver em uma instituição de longa permanência

Abstract

Due to the increase in the elderly population, studies that address the perceptions of aging have been increasingly needed. Included in this process is the institutionalization of the elderly, which has increased over the years, and has great impacts on the lives of the elderly. Based on these concepts, the objective of this research was to investigate the perceptions and feelings of the elderly regarding living in a long-term institution and aging. The research methodology involved a cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study, which used a qualitative design, and had as target population elderly people aged 60 years or more residing in a long-stay institution for the elderly. Data collection took place through individual interviews, fully recorded in audio. Thirteen elderly people of both sexes participated in the research, all of them in the long-stay institution and considered able to answer the study's oral questions. The age of the elderly ranged between 61 and 93 years, all being retired, with an average length of institutionalization of 4.7. After analyzing the three thematic categories emerged: living in a long term institution, perceptions about the state of health and thoughts about aging. It was concluded that there was a diversity of opinions among the elderly about living in the institution. For some seniors it is a place of reception that meets basic needs, for others it represents abandonment. The difficulty of some elderly people in thinking about aging and the possible possible results of this process was also evident.