NURSING CARE FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY IN PRIMARY

Abstract

Aging is a natural process that involves adapting your routine, diet and health care. Another fact is the emergence of diseases related to the process, such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, in addition to the weakening of muscles and bones. Therefore, it is clear that the elderly need constant care offered by nursing care for the elderly. Analyze the interventions and performance of nursing professionals related to the mental health skills of elderly people in primary care. Identify the impacts of health education actions on elderly people in primary care; Analyze the actions to promote and protect the mental health of elderly people in the context of primary care available in the literature; and Discuss the importance of nursing in the mental and emotional health of the elderly in primary care. The study is a literature review. Original articles published in Portuguese and English from 2014 to 2024 were included in the study. Articles whose text is not completely available online and articles that presented unclear methodology were also excluded from the review. To formulate the research and survey the literature, materials were explored in the Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scientific Electronic Library on Line (SciELO), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences (LILACS) databases. The searches resulted in 75 studies related to the topic, of which 64 were excluded because they did not meet some of the inclusion criteria, such as the year of publication and the presence of at least one of the descriptors in the title or abstract. There remained 11 studies that were analyzed for other aspects and 03 were considered inappropriate for analysis because they did not meet the requirement of relevance to the topic studied, while some were bibliographic studies. It is clear that the distance learning program will provide PHC clinicians with the knowledge needed to perform geriatric mental health procedures and will help reduce emergency room costs. It is therefore emphasized that disease prevention and health promotion activities are low-cost and improve people's quality of life throughout their lives. It is recognized that now is the time to expand the range of interventions offered to adults with mental illness. Attempts to develop universal care have been identified, but the process appears to be in its infancy.