Knowledge of caregivers about skin injuries in seniors

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of caregivers as for the identification of changes in the skin of the elderly and the care they consider correct in these situations. Methods: Descriptive study with caregivers of patients treated at a university hospital in the Federal District. It was used pre and post-test with questions about type, cause and treatment of common skin disorders in the elderly. Results: Sample with 31 caregivers, 93,5% women, average age of 45,2 years old, 48,4% children of the elderly, 93,5% reported not having a course to be the caregiver. In the pre-test more damage was recognized in the diaper area dermatitis (48,3%%). In the posttest there was an improvement in recognition for all items with 50% or more correct answers. Conclusion: The results showed that some injuries were known by caregivers for being part of the day-to-day care of the elderly, and easy to be recognized, so the educational guidance carried becomes an effective method to identify lesions.