A utilização da música como uma terapia para idosos institucionalizados.

Abstract

The population aging is a process installed in countries in developed and developing, such as Brazil, today. The rapid changes in the demographic profile of these countries in recent decades derived from the reduced fertility rates and birth rates and increased life expectancy among the population. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that in 2025 the Brazil will have the 6th position among the most old country in the world, with about 34 million of senior citizens. In this demographic transition scenario, increases the development of chronic degenerative diseases, common to this age group, and with them the functional disabilities resulting from aging and complications of diseases. In this scenario, the institutionalization is a reality experienced by many older people worldwide. The ancient institutions are mostly inappropriate and inadequate local needs that the older show. Physical, social and cognitive nature of activities are scarce in these environments. In this sense, one notes the importance of implementing recreational activities such as the use of music as therapy in those environments in order to change the reality experienced by older people in their daily lives. This research aims to evaluate the use of music as therapy for enhancing the quality of life of the elderly in a Long-Term Institution (ILP) in the city of Cajazeiras-PB as a specific objective to identify the profile of the elderly and the determining factors for their institutionalization, investigate changes in social interaction through the use of music and investigate the reduction in the levels of functional disability. This search is a quantitative approach. To get the goals, we opted for an action research exploratory and interventionist way. The survey was conducted in Sheltered Housing Luca Zorn, Cajazeiras-PB. At first moment , the data collection was performed by the analysis elderly diagnosis and in a second stage data collection was carried out through an assessment tool which will include: a) research and evaluation about the social interactions of the elderly and the possible changes throughout the day of musical intervention, b) of the assessment of functional disabilities and their possible modifications in the course of the research. The results show that the population of institutionalized elderly is composed mostly of females, representing a large discrepancy in this variable. The search also shows that music therapy is used as an important agent in the improvement of social interaction in the development of new relationships and emotional bonds. The study shows that music has a strong influence on the re-establishment of functional impairments present in the elderly. At the end of this research, we found that the institutionalized elderly involved in this work showed improvement of physical, social and cognitive order with the use of music as therapy.