Home visits by community health agents to families with frail elderly individuals/A visita domiciliaria do agente comunitario de saude a familias com idosos frageis

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2015-12, Vol.20 (12), p.3787
• Main Authors: Magalhaes, Kelly Alves, Giacomin, Karla Cristina, dos Santos, Wagner Jorge, Firmo, Joselia Oliveira Araujo
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• ISSN: 1413-8123
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-812320152012.07622014

The scope of this study was to understand the significance that community health agents attribute to the home visit conducted with families with frail elderly individuals and if the technique has served as a tool for care for this group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community health agents in the city of Bambui in the State of Minas Gerais. They were all recorded, transcribed and analyzed. The Signs, Meanings and Actions model was used in the collection and analysis of data. In their ways of thinking and acting, seeing aging as being inexorably associated with disability, the agents "try to help" people who have a sociocultural context similar to theirs to get access to health services. As they do not receive guidelines for working with families with elderly individuals, they intuitively establish "equitable" criteria that ensure they visit more risk groups (the elderly, needy, sick and poor). The visits are in response to immediate demands from these groups, but the focus of attention is based on sickness and the provision of medication and procedures. The need for reorientation of the care model, implementation of the National Health Policy for the Elderly and specific actions of care to families with frail elderly individuals are not perceived. Key words Community health agents, Care, Aging, Family health strategy, Home visit Objetivou-se compreender os sentidos que os agentes comunitarios atribuem a visita domiciliaria realizada junto a familias com idosos frageis, e tambem se esta tecnologia de trabalho tem servido como uma ferramenta de Cuidado a este grupo. Foram realizadas entrevistas a agentes comunitarios do municipio de Bambui/MG, guiadas por roteiro semiestruturado. Todas foram gravadas, transcritas e analisadas. O modelo Signos, Significados e Acoes guiou a coleta e a analise dos dados. Em suas maneiras de pensar e agir, percebendo a velhice, inexoravelmente associada a incapacidade, as agentes "tentam ajudar" pessoas que vivenciam um contexto sociocultural similar ao seu a ter acesso aos servicos de saude. Como nao recebem orientacoes para atuar junto as familias com idosos, intuitivamente estabelecem criterios "equitativos", ancorados em uma dimensao solidaria, visitando mais os grupos de risco (o idoso, o carente, o doente, o pobre). A visita ocorre em resposta a demandas imediatas destes grupos, mas o foco da atencao permanece pautado na doenca e na oferta de insumos e procedimentos. A desejada reorientacao do modelo assi