Community health workers caring for dependent elderly people

Ciencia e Saude Coletiva

article

Christina César Praça Brasil¹  Raimunda Magalhães da Silva¹  Indara Cavalcante Bezerra²  Luiza Jane Eyre de Souza Vieira¹  Maria do Livramento Fortes Figueiredo³  Fernanda Regina Vasconcelos Fernandes Castro¹  Francisca Francisete de Sousa Nunes Queiroz¹  Maria Regina Teixeira Ferreira Capelo⁴ 

[1]Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade de Fortaleza. Av. Washington Soares

[2]Universidade Estadual do Ceará. Fortaleza CE Brasil.

[3]Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Piauí. Teresina PI Brasil.

[4]Centro de Literatura e Culturas Lusófonas e Europeias. Funchal Madeira Portugal.

关键词: Community health worker;    Family health strategy;    Health personnel;    Frail elderly;    Qualitative research;   

DOI  :  10.1590/1413-81232020261.31992020

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Associacao Brasileira de Pos - Graduacao em Saude Coletiva

【 摘 要 】

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a link between Family Health Strategy (FHS) professionals and the community. This study aims to analyze health care professionals’ perceptions and health management about CHWs’ role in caring for dependent elderly people. A qualitative study was carried out, from a hermeneutic-dialectic perspective, with 38 professionals working in elderly people’s health in cities in the five regions of Brazil. The results identified CHWs as facilitators of access to elderly people dependent on the health care network, gaps in continuing education and the reduced number of these professionals to meet the demand in primary care. Respondents attributed great importance to CHW’s performance, valued their participation in FHS, but pointed out a lack of knowledge and difficulties to supply the adequate amount in health care services and in assistance of elderly people with dependence and family. It is concluded that health professionals and managers consider CHWs to be a great workforce and essential to the dependent elderly people and their caregivers. The number of CHWs is insufficient in relation to FHS, and there is a lack of training to deal with various types of dependence.

【 授权许可】

CC BY