Contributions from a Seniors Group for the Health of the Elderly Participants

Aging leads to significant losses in the elderly,whether physical, psychological or social. In this context,social support programs and welcoming environments arehighlighted by being prosecutor elements of security andwell-being, stimulating and enhancing the autonomy of theelderly. Given this, we aimed to identify the social benefits ofa support group for older participants under their ownperspective. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional studywas conducted consisting of 20 women with a mean age of69.1 ± 6.29 years, participants of Group Renascer (“Reborn”),inland of Paraíba state. Results: It was verified a good abilityto perform functional activities that require flexibility, in contrastwith a deficit for activities requiring strength. Regardingcontributions to the self-image, 65% reported having greatersatisfaction in living upon participation of the group, and 35%felt more socially valued. In the social relationships, 57%reported “ease of living”; 24% greater emotionalexpressiveness; while 19% said nothing had changed.Conclusion: the Group “Reborn” provided improvements inthe personal dimension concerning individual skills, makingthe elderly more confident, with more self-esteem, betterfunctional capacity and quality of life. In the social dimension,there was an improvement in the relationships among theelderlies themselves and in their social relationships, inaddition to an encouragement for collective constructions...