Vivências do familiar acompanhante diante do cuidado profissional de enfermagem à pessoa idosa hospitalizada

Abstract

The research aimed to understand the experience of the family member accompanying the care of nursing professionals to hospitalized elderly people. Qualitative study with a humanistic, existential and personalist approach developed in a public hospital in the city of Salvador - Bahia, where twelve family members accompanying elderly people hospitalized in the chosen hospital institution participated. The predominance of females, the elderly age group of family members and low education were present in the results of this study. Family members share their experiences with being responsible for hospitalized elderly people and their socioeconomic and cultural realities. A challenge pointed out by the participants was the suffering of not being able to take care of their health, since most of the family members are elderly women, with hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, associated with the number of hours that participate in the care for the hospitalized elderly person. Even so, the interviewees revealed that taking care of their parents is a form of retribution for the care they received previously, otherwise it would represent abandonment, disrespect or helplessness for their elderly parents. They added the feeling of overload during the elderly person's illness. And, they unveiled the difficulties of the hospital routine, the positive and negative aspects regarding nursing care for the elderly. Therefore, family members experience care in two humanistic aspects, of responsibility and values, given their experience as a family caregiver for a hospitalized elderly person. Thus, the implementation of the Hospital Humanization Policy is necessary in order to improve the work environment, by listening to the demands of the patient, family and nursing professionals.