Banca de DEFESA: SILVANA ALVES DA ROCHA SILVA

CARE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH POST-DISCHARGE DIABETES: FOCUS ON GUIDANCE OF SAFE AND HEALTHY FOOD SUPPLY

Key-words: Patient Discharge; Aging; Caregivers; Educational Technology; Food and Nutrition Education.

Aging brings functional and physiological changes to the elderly, which sometimes lead to situations that require hospital treatment, and which can cause declines in the processes involved in feeding. In this context, clear guidelines are needed on the indications for therapeutic diets in different situations. With regard to geriatric patients with functional alterations and diabetes, diets modified in terms of consistency and nutrients stand out. In this scenario, the figure of the caregiver arises, the person responsible for helping the dependent patient with their activities of daily living, especially with eating. Given this reality, the aim of this study was to contribute to the nutritional care of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after hospital discharge. The methodological approach took the form of a descriptive qualitative study based on a case study, carried out in a hospital located in a municipality in the greater Natal area, with companions of dependent elderly patients who had type 2 diabetes mellitus as their underlying disease and who required dietary changes after discharge from hospital. Data was collected using an interview with a semi-structured script and a sociodemographic characterization instrument. Laurence Bardin's content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Ethical principles were respected. The results made it possible to verify the sociodemographic profile of the elderly person and their caregiver, as well as to identify the main doubts related to feeding dependent elderly people. Final considerations: Based on the results found, it was possible to build a technical technological product to help caregivers of dependent elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus with the difficulties they face when being discharged from hospital, with regard to adequate, safe and healthy food.