O cuidador familiar a idosos em cuidados paliativos: limites e possibilidades

Abstract

The caretaking responsibility of elderly people in need of palliative treatment at home has been increasingly assigned to their families, in which considering this scenario can experience moments of fragility; physical, social and financial problems with serious consequences to the caregiver health. The adopted methodology for this research is an exploratory-descriptive study, utilising an interdisciplinary qualitative perspective, which is based in the literacy and interpretation of an empiric dissertation of 10 voluntary caretakers, using semi-structured interview processes. The objective is to contribute with theories, based in Social Gerontology, in order to provide a better comprehension about the caretaker of the elderly in palliative care, the practical implications and effects that can affect the caretaker. The socio-demographic profile of the palliative caretakers was identified, as were the groupings, based specifically in the answers provided, such as; how to proceed in palliative care , performance limits and possibilities of performance improvement . These answers indicate us there can be no connection between everyday life events and public and social policies, being both necessarily in complementation of each other. The recommendation is to give the proper importance to the situation, implementing the use of specific public policies to help the caretaker, as it was specifically noted in some of the reports, allowing the improvement of their well being, the prevention of conflicts, stress, depression and furthermore the security necessary in some palliative care procedures. Moreover, it is also indispensable the total support of the family and the articulation in a social network, either formal or informal, contributing to a less arduous day-to-day life of the caretaker, as well as a more comfortable end of life for the elderly, alleviating pain and suffering