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Com este estudo pretende-se contribuir para o conhecimento sociológico do envelhecimento demográfico, nomeadamente no que concerne à compreensão dos aspetos que configuram a decisão dos idosos em permanecer nas suas casas.
Assim sendo, esta investigação tem como principais objetivos, perceber qual a importância da família e da comunidade como redes de apoio e suporte ao idoso não institucionalizado, compreender o significado da entrada no lar na perspetiva do idoso não institucionalizado, perceber quais a principais potencialidades e constrangimentos de permanecer na sua própria casa e, por fim, perceber de que forma estas dimensões configuram a decisão do idoso permanecer na sua casa e o que pode ser melhorado no sentido de apoiar a sua continuação.
Esta investigação desenvolveu-se num contexto geográfico fortemente envelhecido e ruralizado, o concelho do Sabugal. A população-alvo deste estudo são os idosos não institucionalizados a permanecer nas suas casas, tendo participado no mesmo 18 idosos a viver sós ou com o cônjuge, sendo que 12 deles fizeram parte do grupo de idosos da Universidade Sénior do Sabugal. Foram definidos como critérios de seleção de participantes ter idade igual ou superior a 65 anos e não usufruir do apoio do centro de dia. Recorreu-se a uma metodologia de base qualitativa e foram utilizados como instrumentos de recolha de dados entrevistas semiestruturadas e focus group. Todos os 12 participantes no focus group reuniam os critérios de seleção delineados, com a particularidade de estarem a frequentar a Universidade Sénior, à data da realização do focus group.
Os principais resultados revelaram que as principais potencialidades do idoso permanecer em casa se predem com a maior autonomia, maior liberdade e privacidade, bem como com a manutenção de laços e relações familiares, contribuindo a permanência em casa para a manutenção da sua identidade. A entrada no lar tem, para os participantes do estudo, uma conotação pejorativa, no entanto alguns idosos reconhecem o lar como uma boa resposta social, essencialmente na fuga à solidão e isolamento social. A participação em atividades na comunidade é fundamental, sendo que os idosos que participaram no focus group apresentam uma atitude mais positiva em relação à velhice. Os idosos apenas sairiam das suas casas em caso de extrema necessidade, e iriam para o lar, não por vontade própria, mas essencialmente para não serem um “peso” para a família. O facto de o Serviço de Apoio Domiciliário (SAD) ser a resposta social mais mencionada nos discursos, invoca o desejo de permanecer nas suas casas, já que se trata de um apoio que lhes permite obter ajuda, sem terem de sair das suas casas.
Os resultados da investigação mostram a necessidade de melhorar os cuidados prestados no domicílio, assim como as condições de habitação e de adequação à velhice, de estimular a participação social do idoso, melhorar o acesso a serviços, e definir estratégias que promovam o envolvimento das famílias e da comunidade na vida do idoso. Esta melhoria passa pela construção de programas/projetos que visem apoiar a continuação do idoso na sua residência, permitindo manter o idoso na sua casa, o máximo de tempo possível, pilar essencial para a qualidade de vida do idoso.
The present study provides a contribution to the sociological knowledge of demographic ageing, as regards the understanding of the aspects that shape the decision of the elderly in staying in their homes. The purposes of this study are the following, to assess the extent of the importance of the family and of the community as support networks and as support to the non-institutionalized person, to understand the impact of going to a retirement home for the non-institutionalized person, to become fully aware of the main potentialities and constraints of staying at home and finally, to perceive how all these aspects lead the elderly to decide to stay in their homes and what can be improved in order to support the elderly’s decision. This study took place in the county of Sabugal, a strongly aged and rural geographical context. The study population included 18 non-institutionalized elders living in their homes, alone or with their partner, belonging 12 of them to a group of elders who attend the Senior University of Sabugal. The study participants were 65 years old or more and they were not benefitting from day care centre support. The methodology used in the study was the qualitative research and the data collection instruments were the semi-structured interview and the focus group. All the 12 participants of the focus group satisfied the outlined criteria when the focus group took place. The main results obtained with the present study showed that the elder stays at home in order to have more autonomy, more freedom and privacy, as well as to keep the family bonds. All these factors contribute to maintain the elder’s identity. Going to a retirement home has, for the study’s participants, a pejorative connotation. Nevertheless, some of the elderly realize that the retirement home is a good social answer, essentially to escape from loneliness and social isolation. Taking part in the community activities is considered fundamental and the elderly who were involved in the focus group showed a more positive attitude towards elderliness. Therefore, old people would only leave their home in case of extreme need and they would go to a retirement home, not of their own free will, but mainly, not to be a” burden” to the family. The fact that Home Support Services was the most mentioned social answer referred to shows the will to stay at home with Home Care provided. The results of the study allow me to conclude that there is the need to improve not only Home care but also, housing conditions. It is also imperative to adapt the housing conditions to the elderly. Moreover, the social participation of old people has to be stimulated. Furthermore, it has to be improved the access to services and strategies have to be defined to promote the involvement of families and of the community in the life of the elderly. These improvements require developing projects that allow elderly people to stay in their homes, as much time as possible, which is the foremost important aspect of the elderly’s quality of life.
The present study provides a contribution to the sociological knowledge of demographic ageing, as regards the understanding of the aspects that shape the decision of the elderly in staying in their homes. The purposes of this study are the following, to assess the extent of the importance of the family and of the community as support networks and as support to the non-institutionalized person, to understand the impact of going to a retirement home for the non-institutionalized person, to become fully aware of the main potentialities and constraints of staying at home and finally, to perceive how all these aspects lead the elderly to decide to stay in their homes and what can be improved in order to support the elderly’s decision. This study took place in the county of Sabugal, a strongly aged and rural geographical context. The study population included 18 non-institutionalized elders living in their homes, alone or with their partner, belonging 12 of them to a group of elders who attend the Senior University of Sabugal. The study participants were 65 years old or more and they were not benefitting from day care centre support. The methodology used in the study was the qualitative research and the data collection instruments were the semi-structured interview and the focus group. All the 12 participants of the focus group satisfied the outlined criteria when the focus group took place. The main results obtained with the present study showed that the elder stays at home in order to have more autonomy, more freedom and privacy, as well as to keep the family bonds. All these factors contribute to maintain the elder’s identity. Going to a retirement home has, for the study’s participants, a pejorative connotation. Nevertheless, some of the elderly realize that the retirement home is a good social answer, essentially to escape from loneliness and social isolation. Taking part in the community activities is considered fundamental and the elderly who were involved in the focus group showed a more positive attitude towards elderliness. Therefore, old people would only leave their home in case of extreme need and they would go to a retirement home, not of their own free will, but mainly, not to be a” burden” to the family. The fact that Home Support Services was the most mentioned social answer referred to shows the will to stay at home with Home Care provided. The results of the study allow me to conclude that there is the need to improve not only Home care but also, housing conditions. It is also imperative to adapt the housing conditions to the elderly. Moreover, the social participation of old people has to be stimulated. Furthermore, it has to be improved the access to services and strategies have to be defined to promote the involvement of families and of the community in the life of the elderly. These improvements require developing projects that allow elderly people to stay in their homes, as much time as possible, which is the foremost important aspect of the elderly’s quality of life.
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Keywords
Autonomia Decisão/Opção. Envelhecimento Habitação Institucionalização Participação Redes de Sociabilidade