Perception of leisure among institutionalized elderly

Abstract

Objective: identify the leisure activities performed at a long-term care facility for the aged and understand the elderly's perception of the leisure. Method: descriptive and qualitative study undertaken between January and April 2013, involving 15 institutionalized elderly. The data were collected through semistructured interviews, analyzed based on the principles of thematic interpretation and discussed in the light of Foucault's theoretical framework. Results: the understanding of leisure for the elderly was linked to psychological wellbeing. The leisure activities practiced were mostly artistic, intellectual, manual, physical and social and were promoted by the community external to the institution. Elderly people with sensory, motor or cognitive deficits faced difficulties and/or were unable to participate actively in the activities. Conclusion: the leisure activities at the institution brought benefits to the elderly but were permeated by power relations.