Chronic non-communicable diseases and their implications in the life of dependent elderly people

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the implications of chronic noncommunicable diseases in dependent older adults. This is a multicenter, qualitative study in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 dependent older adults diagnosed with chronic disease. The Thematic Analysis technique was used for analyzing the information. Most older adults were female, white, with low schooling level and lived with their daughters. All were undergoing drug treat-ment, and cardiocirculatory diseases were the most prevalent conditions. The implications of chronic diseases are manifested in the use of med-ications, which are also a risk factor; in the condition of dependence and in the experience with chronic diseases, which show more significant use of health services; the high economic impact of chronic diseases on families and the state; and the insufficient household income, which condition older adults to have few social and community support devices.