Interdisciplinary Health Practices for elderly people with Chronic Diseases: Self-Care Impact

Abstract

Objectives: to check the perception of elderly people living with chronic diseases regarding the interdisciplinary health practices focused on self-care.Methodology: It is an analytical study with a qualitative approach, carried out in the period from October 2018 to June 2019,with 22 elderly people as participants from an interaction group. Eight fortnightly meetings were carried out with preventive activities and workshops focused on self-care.For the data collection, there were used as instruments a biosocial questionnaire and a semistructured interview designed by the researchers.Data analysis was carried out based on the methodological theoretical assumptions of the Collective Subject Discourse-CSD. Results: The majority of the participants were female (96.2%), with a prevalent age group of 71-75 years (32.7%), white people (42.1%), widows (52.6 %) and of catholic religion (76.3%), with incomplete elementary education training (39.5%), monthly income between 1 and 2 minimum wages (55.3%), living alone (42.1%) and that have children (94.7%). Concerning the clinical aspects, most of them have more than one chronic disease (84.6%) and lives primarily with systemic arterial hypertension (63.5%), diabetes mellitus (32.7%), dyslipidemias (23.0%). When analyzing the Collective Subject Discourse in relation to self-care impact, four central ideal arose: eating habits; conscious use of teas; prevention of falls; mental health and memory.Conclusion:the elderly people reported that the participation in programs with the focus on health was essential to increase knowledge, make clarifications, guide, and modify the life habits that were mistaken. That is to say, it helped to improve self-care which directly affected health and quality of life.