CARE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE PRE-DEATH PERIOD: PROCEDURES AND CHALLENGES FOR NURSING

Abstract

This study deals with care for the elderly in the pre-mortem period, considering that this is a critical phase and demands specialized attention and sensitivity on the part of nursing professionals. During this stage, the elderly often face a series of physical, emotional and spiritual challenges, and the health professional who assists them must be prepared to offer clinical and humane assistance. In this context, the question is: what are the challenges and strategies that the nursing professional needs to deal with in order to offer health care with differential quality? Thus, the general objective sought to analyze the challenges faced and the strategies adopted by nursing professionals in providing care to the elderly during the pre-mortem period. Its specific objectives aimed to discuss the historical context of advances in health care for the elderly; to describe the most common challenges faced by nursing professionals in providing care to the elderly during the pre-mortem period; and to understand the main strategies adopted by these professionals to deal with such challenges. The methodology used was a qualitative and descriptive approach, using the following databases, such as the Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scopus and MEDLINE, with publications from the last ten years. The results indicate the relevance of the role of a well-prepared and qualified nurse, who has a significant impact on the quality of care provided to the elderly at the end of life, and also indicate the need to formulate health policies and practices related to pre-mortem care and improvements in the working conditions of nurses and the quality of care provided