Resumo

HERNANDEZ ZAMORA, Zoila Edith. Caretakers of elderly persons living in asylums. Index Enferm [online]. 2006, vol.15, n.52-53, pp.40-44. ISSN 1699-5988.

This article underlines the increase in the population of elderly persons that has occurred in recent years and has resulted in ever-increasing numbers of residents living in asylums for the aged, or old people’s homes.  Such institutions are generally dependent on the state, and their material characteristics as well as their infrastructure in regard to the specialized personnel for attending to the people residing there leave much to be desired. This last aspect is the central point of this work since the caretakers, be they nurses, psychologists, doctors, social workers or others, perform a crucial role in the functioning of such institutions. The caretaker, like the residents, is a human being with a duty that is inherent in his/her work and who, in addition, is subject to all the emotions or conflicts that the job implies. Just like the persons under his care, he requires care and attention in order to maintain the well-being of all those concerned.