Educação em saúde para idosos : uso racional de medicamentos.

Abstract

The use of medication is very common in any age group, however, the elderly use a greater number of medications, since they have a higher incidence of chronic diseases, and are currently considered the most medicalized age group in society. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the elderly population in Brazil has been growing almost eight times faster than young people and almost twice more than the general population, going from 6.3% in 1980 to an estimated population of 14% in 2025, the which in absolute numbers constitutes the sixth largest population of elderly people in the world. It is important to emphasize that most elderly people, due to the countless causes of frailty and greater vulnerability to the development of chronic or acute diseases, use many medications and are therefore more exposed to risk of adverse reactions, which increases when inappropriate medications are used. Most elderly people, that is, more than 80%, use at least one medication of continuous use per day, and about a third of them consume five or more simultaneously. clinics, in doses suited to their individual needs, for an adequate period and at the lowest cost for themselves and the community. if to promote health education and provide opportunities for self-training of the elderly so that they recognize their drug-therapeutic needs in a rational way. The objective of this study was to promote the rational use of medicines for a group of elderly people in the city of Cachoeira do Sul, in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For this purpose, health education was carried out using the traditional and dialogical model in order to promote a collective construction of knowledge, providing individuals with a critical-reflective view of their reality, making them responsible and enabling them to make decisions related to their health, especially regarding the rational use of medication. Thirteen elderly people were interviewed of both sexes, eleven women and two men. All interviewees had some chronic health problem. Of which 76.92% used sporadic medication, six considered their health to be good, five to be regular and two to be bad. The practice of education in health provided an understanding of the issues addressed and allowed clarifying doubts about pathologies and medication. The present study revealed that the elderly use their medicines irrationally and the health education promoted on the most frequent pathologies among the elderly and the rational use of medicines proved to be an important tool for the construction of knowledge for these elderly people.