The Care of Institutionalized Elderly: Principles for Action of Multidisciplinary Team

The increase in the elderly population, in spite of being a conquest, carries with it a series of personal, social and economical consequences. Aging is a natural process that involves a series of losses, among which we can mention the decrease in the ability to withstand the overloads of the environment and not necessarily a synonym for disease. The elderly, with greater or lesser degree of impairment is an individual who needs special care. Such necessity is often supplied by a member of the family, or by professionals hired for this purpose. But, not rarely, a greater demand for care leads the subject to hospitalization in residential institutions for long-term care facilities for the elderly (LTCFe’s). In this perspective, this article of opinion aims discuss and present, from the experience in the development of projects with the elderly population, issues relating to 'act of caring', with particular reference to the institutionalized elderly.