Vivência da velhice nas perspectivas dos idosos

Abstract

The aging of the world's population is undeniable and presents not only an increase in people's life expectancy, but also implies in the various spheres of the social structure, especially in health, causing the need for changes in the context of public policies to guarantee the well-being of the population. population. This work aims to understand the experience of old age from the perspective of the elderly, revealing their potential and challenges in society. This is a study with a qualitative approach, descriptive and exploratory, based on the theoretical assumptions of Health Promotion. It had the participation of 10 elderly men and 10 elderly women, living in Santa Catarina, Brazil, who were selected by the “snowball” method. Data collection was carried out through a semi-structured interview, through a video call on the WhatsApp® application, in order to protect those involved due to the pandemic context. The interviews were carried out during the months of July and September 2021. Data organization and analysis took place through thematic content analysis. As a result of the organization of data analysis, two categories emerged: 1) The challenges faced in experiencing old age; 2) The potentialities recognized in the experience of old age. It was evident that the experience of old age assumes heterogeneous forms in its development, and may present challenges to be faced, as well as potentialities to be enjoyed and preserved. In addition, it was observed that the challenges and potentialities impact the well-being, the biopsychosocial conditions of the elderly and define the way of aging of a certain group.