Necessidades e níveis de formação dos cuidadores formais de ERPI no distrito de Braga

Abstract

As the average life expectancy of the population continues to increase, new challenges arise, especially with regard to caring for the elderly population. In Portugal, care institutions for the elderly have sought to improve their services, but at the same time we face a high level of shortcomings in the training of formal caregivers. Caregivers who, without specific and/or continuous training, care for the elderly on a daily basis. This qualitative study aims to characterize the training given to formal caregivers in institutions in the Braga region. Data was collected from Direct Action Assistants in five institutions, covering a total of ten formal caregivers, over a period of one year. The analysis of the results reveals a series of training needs identified by the caregivers, mainly related to "care for the elderly person with dementia", "general care for the elderly person", "stress management at work", "relationship strategies and creating barriers" and "loss and bereavement". Thus, there is an urgent need to reflect not only on the initial levels of training for formal caregivers, but also on the mandatory ongoing training offered by institutions to their employees in order to provide better services. This study contributes to understanding the training needs of formal caregivers in ERPIs in the district of Braga, highlighting the importance of listening to employees when selecting training topics, in order to respond to their real training needs.

Date of Award	9 Jan 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Catarina Vieira da Silva (Supervisor)