Abstract

MORAIS, Olga Nazaré Pantoja de. Groups of elderly: action of psicogerontology in the preventive approach. Psicol. cienc. prof. [online]. 2009, vol.29, n.4, pp.846-855. ISSN 1414-9893.

This article describes strategies for confronting the process of healthy ageing through the intervention of the industry group psychology of a reference center for the elderly’s health. The psychological aspects involved in ageing, the limitations and difficulties of this period, and the possibilities of healthy confrontation of this process are discussed. The activities with groups are an important contribution in forming a psychosocial network support. The following groups were developed: Caring for the Carer, which provided moments of reflection on the “care” to relatives and/or elderly people engaged in the task of carers, the group Exercising Body and Mind, that encouraged the elderly to discover the practice of healthy physical and mental stimuli in their daily lives, and Caring for Health with Joy, aimed at the awareness of self-care in the elderly participants through the discovery of pleasant activities in their daily life. The results showed that the elderly people who attended these groups began to understand that the need to be responsible for their own health was a priority in their lives. The intervention of the psychologist as a facilitator of the process group showed relevant importance in the elderly care, due to his/her remarkable contribution in the acquisition and/or maintenance of healthy old age.

Keywords : Aging process; Group; Old age; Prevention.

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