DAILY WORK OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS INVOLVING THE ELDERLY ACCORDING TO CERTEAU’S FRAMEWORK

Abstract

We aimed to understand daily practices of community health workers in elderly health care. Qualitative case study, based on Certeau’s theoretical framework of the daily. The participants were eight workers from family health teams in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Individual interviews were undertaken using a semistructured script. The interviews were held in May 2016, recorded and submitted to content analysis. The workers’ daily practices in elderly health care involve strategies and tactics. The home visits and health education groups stood out in elderly care. In daily practice, the workers revealed difficulties associated with the fact that health system strategies are not put into effect. Based on these findings, nationwide strategies need to be implemented for elderly care to support the workers’ practices, enhancing health care for the users.

Keywords

• Primary health care
• Community health workers
• Health of the elderly
• Aging