O envelhecer em diferentes etnias e as práticas de cuidado : um olhar da enfermagem

Abstract

This study aimed to construct a representative theoretical reference of the conception of old age in different ethnic groups and socio-cultural practices of health care and in illness situation. It is a qualitative research, conducted with elderly people in Foz do Iguaçu-PR, which used the Symbolic Interactionism and the "Grounded Theory" as a theoretical-methodological reference. The data were collected from February to August 2011, through open interview and observation not systematic, with 33 elderly people aged between 60 and 96 years, being 18 women, which integrated five sample groups: the first consists of seven Lebanese, the second of ten Brazilians, the third of five Paraguayans, the fourth of seven French and the fifth group of four Chinese. For data analysis it was used the method of constant comparison. The aging was showed as a complex and inevitable phenomenon in the course of human life, besides to be multifactorial, because involves physical, biological, psychological, behavioral and socio-cultural aspects. Therefore, a single factor alone is not able to determine or describe the phenomenon, although the physical and biological aspects are presented in a more emphatic way. In his conception about the own aging, the elderly people take the values instituted in the symbol created throughout life into consideration, which is strongly influenced by the socio-cultural context in which they were created and by the values attributed to aging by their parents. Thus, each elderly experience his own aging process and redefine his roles in society, in order to deny the stigma such as: to be "old" is to be disabled for life. They identified as gains of old age, the experience, the wisdom and the tranquility, and as losses the physical decay, the vitality decreasing, the physical and social vulnerability and the proximity with their own finitude. The family relationships showed themselves diversified in different ethnic groups, interfering also in the way of caring of the elderly people, although it was observed a predominance of family care and of responsibility of children to parents. The strategies adopted for the welfare in old age involve from life care adopted during the life to those that started recently, such as practice of physical activity, good eating habits, teas, prayer, maintenance of an occupation, sleep and rest and the use of caps and coats for protection from the cold. For care in illness situations, it was observed that conventional medicine is sought for everyone concomitant to the use of socio-cultural practices, being the use of teas more frequent for the Paraguayans and Brazilians, although it was cited by a Frenchman; the faith and religiosity for the Lebanese and Brazilian; the diet for Brazilians and acupuncture for the Chinese, even if little used. The meanings of the aging process and the dimensions that involve it are indicative to be considered in the planning of a quality care to the elderly. To develop a gerontological care in nursing based on socio-cultural practices can approximate the professional to the elderly and his family, and then create planned actions based on the individuals' experiences.