Dependência e carência: a velhice no imaginário coletivo de profissionais de uma instituição de longa permanência para idosos

Abstract

Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly are residential facilities, which can be private or public, and take full responsibility for individuals over 60 years of age. In this way, Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly employ professionals from various areas. The work of these professionals can be influenced, particularly in an unconscious manner, by a set of ideas and feelings that can be understood through the concept of collective imaginary in its psychoanalytic sense. The present study aimed to investigate qualitatively the collective imaginary of professionals working in a Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly regarding aging. Fourteen professionals, all female, with completed elementary education, and in positions involving direct or indirect interaction with elderly individuals in an Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly, participated in the study. Data collection was conducted individually, in the Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly dependences. The instrument used was the Thematic Drawing-and-Story Procedure. The material obtained was subjected to psychoanalytic interpretation through successive floating readings aimed at marking fields of meaning. Three fields of meaning were identified, titled: (1) Dependent and needy; (2) Grumpy and abandoned; and (3) (Dis)Arranged family. In general, these fields of meaning suggest that a negative perspective on aging predominates among the participants, where aging is predominantly associated with dependence and neediness. Under the influence of this perspective, the integral care that should be offered within Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly may end up being unfeasible. In any case, the collective imaginary of several participants seemingly supports empathetic attitudes. Further research focused on investigating the collective imaginary in its psychoanalytic sense could reveal whether professionals with higher education levels exhibit similar or different characteristics.