RCAAP Repository

Population aging is a phenomenon experienced worldwide. In Brazil, this process is relatively recent, although it is happening at an accelerated rate. Regarding the determinants of aging, the types of housing stand out, which can directly influence the individual's longevity. Given the brief exposed, the objective is to highlight housing conditions as an influential factor in the lives of the elderly living in Condomínio Cidade Madura, located in João Pessoa, capital of the state of Paraíba. For that, direct observation, case study and photographic record are used as methodology. It is noted that the initiative is an advance in the housing area for the elderly, especially for the low-income. It is concluded, therefore, that the condominium meets reasonably the physical issues of housing. 

The objective was to identify the perception, regarding the care process, of elderly companions from a university hospital, often their post-hospitalization caregivers, in the home environment. This is a descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional study with a qualitative approach, performed with 28 caregivers and caregivers of the elderly hospitalized in a hospital. An interview was used as an instrument of data collection. The data processing is given through Content Analysis. Six categories of study emerged as a result of the research: Characterization of the participants; Authoritarian evaluation of the companion's participation in the geriatric care; Emotional support for the elderly; Positive reinforcement for the hospitalized elderly, due to the interest of the companion in participating in the care; Difficult factors for the companion's participation in assisting the elderly; and Contribution of the nursing team to the companion's satisfaction. Therefore, it is concluded that the presence of the companion in the hospital environment, often acting as a post-hospitalization caregiver, in the home environment, contribute substantially to the improvement of the prognosis of the clinical picture and the recovery of the elderly patient. 

Descriptive/quantitative study accomplished between November and December of 2015. The data collection has been made with 22 institutionalized people by applying of Katz and Lawton & Brody scales. As became evident the independence to Activities of Daily Living (ADL) (81,8%) in Katz scale diverging of Lawton & Brody scale that showed low function, dependent (81,8%) to Activities Of Daily Living (IADL). Considering the data of functionality degree observed that it requires greater attention aiming aging quality. 

Neste estudo de prevalência de prescrição de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados para idosos (MPI) em unidades municipais de atenção primária da zona leste de São Paulo, com base no Consenso Brasileiro de MPI, 55,2% dos 562 participantes possuíam prescrição de MPI, dos quais 94% constavam na Relação Municipal de Medicamentos Essenciais de São Paulo (REMUME-SP), apontando para a necessidade de inclusão nos protocolos clínicos da Relação Nacional (RENAME) as restrições para uso de MPI, constantes no Consenso Brasileiro de MPI.

This is a prospective-longitudinal, almost-experimental, exploratory-descriptive study with a quantitative approach, which assessed the beneficial effects of senior dance on the quality of life and incidence of pain in 12 elderly women who participated in 8 weeks of dance. The results showed a statistically significant difference in 6 questions of the Short-Form Health Survey and reduction of pain intensity in almost all body segments, according to Corlett's Rating Scale. 

The objective of this study was to evaluate the management of the service and care in a long-stay institution for the elderly. A descriptive, exploratory study supported by a report of academic experience, carried out in a long-term geriatric institution in which 54 elderly women are housed. The identification of conditions that can improve the assistance to the elderly population and the maintenance of its functionality contribute to the management of the service and care in the institution. 

Embodied by an interview, this study aimed to contextualize the interface between the process of population aging with the provision health services of municipal Oliveira Fortes, MG, Brazil. Confronting the national scene, the work ends punctuating the contradictory situation of the Brazilian population aging, although installed and fast, there is little, or even no, evidence of policies and public health actions directed at the elderly.

The present study aims to report the case of an elderly patient with chronic pain, highlighting main pharmaceutical diagnostics and interventions. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the pharmaco therapeutic monitoring can contribute directly to improving the quality of life of the patient. In the case of chronic diseases, such as pain, monitoring should be continuous in order to ensure adherence to treatment.

The increase in life expectancy often leads to the prevalence of some chronic-degenerative diseases related to aging, such as osteoporosis and sarcopenia. This is a retrospective and prospective research, with quantitative approach of the quasi-experimental kind, with pre- and post-test, without control group, using a protocol of exercises in aquatic physiotherapy.  Sample with 13 women, between 57 and 84 years old, with a medical diagnosis of osteopenia / osteoporosis, confirmed by bone densitometry. A protocol was applied in aquatic mean, with the duration of 30 week, twice a week. The participants were submitted to pre and post-intervention evaluations, measuring their muscle force through torque of quad muscle with dynamometry, and sarcopenia through Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test. The results, after the aquatic physiotherapy protocol, showed that the torque on both sides was statistically significant; however, the non-dominant side (p = 0.0059) showed greater strength gain compared to the dominant member (p=0.01). The results of sarcopenia were also statistically significant after aquatic protocol (p=0.03458), from which it can be concluded that aquatic physiotherapy is effective in muscle torque and sarcopenia.

To analyze the factors associated with the occurrence of falls in elderly residents of the community. This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, population-based study. Socio-demographic information, level of physical activity, functionality, falls, body mass index and vitamin D concentration were obtained. 289 elderly people participated in the study, with hypovitaminosis D associated with falls. The findings serve as subsidies for planning actions that enable better health conditions for the elderly population. 

Old age and homosexuality are considered taboo subjects in our society. Both are signifiers usually related to invisibility and stigma. Hence, this article looks into the different processes of mental health of Costa Rican gay older men, pondering their double minority status of age and sexuality. This introductory study intends to generate relevant information on the importance of the metal health of this cohort through a series of researches already carried out. 

In the last few years, participation in competitive sports in later life has considerably increased. The purpose of this article is to reflect if older Master athletes can be considered an ideal model of active aging. In order to this, the determinants and impacts of the competitive sports participation for older athletes are explored. Finally, this article offers a critical view that highlights the problem of considering this group as an ideal example of "well aging".

With advances of modern medicine and technological knowledge, the number of people with chronic and progressive diseases has increased. The treatment options have also increased so hastening death has become possible. When it is necessary to make a decision about artificial nutrition and hydration in patients in palliative care, these same decisions present complex ethical dilemmas involving the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence.

This paper aimed to analyze the relationship between Cognitive Reserve (CR) and Openness to Experience (OE) in non-demented elderly people. Descriptive, correlational and quantitative research was undertaken. The sample consisted of thirty-one elderly people divided into two groups: healthy and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). There was a moderate, positive and significant correlation (r = 0.463; p < 0.01) between CR and OE. It was found that the healthy controls (M = 0.53; SD = 0.10) present significantly [t = (29) 3,785; p < 0.01] higher CR compared to the elderly with MCI (M = 0.39; SD = 0.11). The data confirm that there was an association between CR and OE and that healthy controls have higher CR compared to the MCI group. This study allowed to know possible relationships and differences underlying the acquisition process of cognitive reserves and factors related to OE and may contribute to further research, seeking more evidence in the field of science. 

Court-case sentences and reports from 79 cases with elderly plantiffs were studied based on the legislation and the work of social workers specialized in forensic reports. All sentences were ruled in 2017, involving the elderly continued support Social Security Benefit (BPC/Idoso) in the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region (TRF4-RS). The content analysis was performed using NVivo12 software. It was identified a variety of conceptions used in forensic reports construction and an effective contribution to the court-case sentencing process was observed.

This study aims to analyze the occurrence of work accidents in Brazil with the elderly from the secondary data of the Ministry of Social Security and submitted to descriptive and inferential statistical analyzes. The results indicate a tendency to increase the number of accidents with older workers compared to the other workers, indicating the need for further studies and adoption of more appropriate protection policies for these workers.  

The objective is to describe and analyze the possible associations between the variables institutionalization, education, polypharmacy, depression and cognitive impairment, in two heterogeneous elderly groups. Methods and Procedures: Subjects were 48 elderly, of whom 24 were institutionalized and 24 were non-institutionalized. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive decline and, for depression, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). As a result: 8.3% of subjects presented cognitive decline and 52,1% presented depression. Among those institutionalized, there was a higher incidence of cognitive decline and depression. Age negatively influenced cognitive performance (rS = -0.450, p = 0.001). An inverse relationship was observed between cognitive decline and depression (rs= -0.304, p = 0.036). Older people with higher schooling had a lower rate of depression, and illiterate elderly individuals presented greater cognitive decline. There were no significant differences between illiterate and low schooling elderly. It was concluded that institutionalized elderly lacking social and cognitive stimulation are more vulnerable to cognitive decline and depression, which indicates the importance of conducting controlled research on protective factors for depression and cognitive decline in elderly populations and the establishment of public policies that aim at improving the quality of life of the elderly population, especially the most deprived elderly and the institutionalized. 

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects promoted by a cognitive stimulation program on cognition and subjective memory complaint in elderly people of a Senior Center. Ten elderly people participated in the program, which consisted of nine weekly meetings that addressed several aspects, focusing on episodic and operational memory, and language. Significant improvement in memory and language cognitive domains after the workshop was observed, as well as increased subjective complaints of memory. 

This study aimed to investigate the contributions of physical exercise to health of elderly people with diabetes mellitus. This is an integrative literature review -that included studies indexed in Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), using the descriptors “elderly”, “aerobic exercise”, “resistance training” and “diabetes mellitus”. The physical exercise proved to be efficient in promoting improvements in indicators for cardiovascular risk, blood pressure levels and arterial stiffness, physical fitness and depressive symptoms in elderly diabetics. 

The objective of this study was to evaluate the overall satisfaction with the life of elderly people in the tertiary education program at a tertiary education institution in the city of Teresina, PI. It is a cross-sectional, quantitative type and was carried out with a sample of 120 elderly women from an extension project of the Piauí State University. It was observed that most are satisfied with their lives, since participating in an extension project may have had a positive influence on this self-assessment.