Conflitos interpessoais entre idosos institucionalizados

Abstract

The present work of investigation focused on the interpersonal conflicts between the seniors living in a retirement home, conducted by the following investigation question: Is the institutional context propitious for the conflict between the elder? With this work we aim to verify if the elder develop conflict with everyone in the institution, get to know the reasons that lead to unleashing the interpersonal conflicts, apprehend how the resolution of the interpersonal conflicts is attained and analyze the way the senior, in an institutionalized environment, deal with someone after a conflict with said person. To investigate this reality we selected a sample of 40 seniors residing in Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Fafe’s retirement homes. We based the selection of our sample on the following criterion: equal number of individuals of both genders who didn’t present cognitive decline. To select our sample we resorted to the non-probability sampling technique, more specifically to the intentional sampling method. In this study we used methodological techniques of quantitative nature, resorting to mixed questionnaires as data gathering instrument. For their application we used the indirect method. With our investigation we concluded that in an institutional context elders present interpersonal conflicts specially with the other elder, however, some situations of conflict with the retirement home’s employees were also noted. According to the elders the individual differences, the incomprehension, the intolerance and the sharing of spaces and common equipment are the main causes for the existing conflicts. In this investigation work we could also confirm that seniors living in retirement homes use different resolution strategies to solve their interpersonal conflicts, being avoidance the most used strategy. However, women resort to domination as strategy to solve conflicts.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria Engracia Leandro (Supervisor)