Social representations of old age and care enunciated by speech-language and nursing academics

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the social representations that nursing and speech-language students have about old age and elder care. Methods: Qualitative research, grounded in the Theory of Social Representations. Twenty-five (25) undergraduates from the health area, who attended two public and two private universities from a State located in the south of Brazil, participated in the study. A thematic interview with digitally -recorded open questions was used for data collection. The survey data was organized according to the Discourse of the Collective Subject method. Results: Undergraduates’ social representations enabled the organization of central ideas, anchoring and the Discourse of the Collective Subject, evidencing that, on one hand, elderly healthcare is only based on elders’ physical decay, in addition, they are denied power of decision, and old age is infantilized. On the other hand, undergraduates’ social representations also show that the reciprocity in the relationship between care provider and elderly subject may revitalize the caring process, overcoming negative preconceptions on old age. Conclusions: Representational construction on elderly healthcare, filled with preconceptions resulting in a negative view of old age, deserves attention during health professionals’ education.