O idoso e a expressão de suas necessidades: um estudo de uma uma realidade local

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the expression of the needs of the elderly in a long-stay home based on a local reality, related to the institutional situation, daily life and general aspects of their life experience, using as main reference to understand these Maslow (1970), as well as the references of articles and scientific research that deal with the subject of the elderly and their relationship with the institution, or long-term homes, or also called shelters, whose elderly are in shelter situation, within an institutional framework. The interest in the topic arose from our personal experience, from living in the research site, and we are faced with diverse situations of shelter and we feel the need and desire to better understand the forms of expression of the elderly in this context and how they deal with the adaptations required by this institutional condition. This study proposed the accomplishment of an exploratory study, through the accomplishment of a field research in a qualitative approach. Through the exploratory bias, we identified the manifestations of the needs of the elderly, aiming to increase the knowledge about the subject and to make it more explicit, at first. (SEVERINO, 2007; MALHEIROS, 2011). The interview technique was used with the elderly and the data generated from the subjects' speeches were analyzed from the content analysis proposed by Bardin (1977). Finally, the results showed that the physiological, safety and love needs are the main reasons for institutionalization and are expressed by the discourse of the elderly women and pointed out the need to expand and deepen the studies in this area in order to better understand the needs and conditions of the elderly people in long-term care institutions, so that they can be heard and encouraged to express their needs and be cared for, so that their stay may represent, beyond institutional limitations, the possibility of being cared for and experiencing moments of personal growth and re-signification of their experiences in this important phase of their lives.