Serviços de atenção ao idoso na cidade de Manaus (AM): um estudo de caso

Abstract

Growing older was previously considered a rare phenomenon, but old age is now part of most societies. The world population is growing much older; there are currently 600 million elderly people in the world, thrice the number 50 years ago and thrice less than the forecast for 2050. This rapid aging pattern follows suit in Brazil, leading to new demands and increases in costs related to care for the elderly due to the high prevalence of chronic diseases in this population. This fact prompts reflections and demands the implementation or reorganization of elderly care services in many scenarios. In light of these conditions, this study analyzed the Elderly Care Services in Manaus (AM, Brazil). Methodologically, this is a qualitative case study. The study was conducted in the city of Manaus, Amazonas (Brazil), and the locations consisted of 10 centers for Services and or Programs Specialized in Elderly Care. The participants included 19 managers of ten Specialized Services for Elderly Care in Manaus (AM, Brazil), 13 of whom currently work in management, and six are former managers. The criteria of inclusion for participants were that they must be managers in Specialized Services for Elderly Care in Manaus; those who were on vacation or otherwise not actively working were excluded from the study. Participants were chosen via snowball sampling. Data collection took place between October and November 2019 through semi-structured interviews and documentary research. The semi-structured interviews were done according to each participant’s preferred location within the Elderly Care service facilities in Manaus (AM, Brazil) and lasted about 56 minutes. The ethical precepts established by resolutions no. 466/2012 and 510/2016 of the National Health Council were adopted. The results were introduced through two thematic categories and later discussed and analyzed through Minayo’s Operational Proposal. The first category, named Elderly Care Services in Manaus (AM, Brazil), introduced the history, description, and management methods of these services. The second category discussed the Relations, Articulations, and Interlocutions in Elderly Care Services in Manaus (AM, Brazil). After each service was described, we verified that Public Policies legally subsidized the implementation of Specialized Elderly Care Services in Manaus (AM, Brazil), supported by the government’s investment on managers who led actions in this city. The state manages some services, whereas the city manages others. Multidisciplinary teams develop Specialized Care based on humanized care, shelter, and care beyond individuals. This approach leads to bonds between elderly who require these services and professionals, which facilitates care. These services do not fit into a Care Network because they articulate among each other, but they are not interrelated in their entirety for the elderly who require them. This study contributed to tackling the challenge of an aging population in the North region of Brazil to unveil wide new arrays of elderly care. To this end, we considered regional elements that directly or indirectly affect this population’s aging process. In addition, the ensemble of Public Policies pulls legal support to the establishment of Center for Elderly Living, Open Universities for the Elderly, and Integrated Elderly Care Centers, among other services. This reaffirms the commitment and explicit acknowledgment of the rights to health and respect for life for the elderly in Manaus (AM, Brazil) and the world. As such, this research opens a pathway for new studies on the field of aging, since the world epidemiologic profile is marked by rapid aging, bringing with it new demands and arrangements of local city and state administrations to reinvent daily to care for the increasing elderly population.