Professional competencies in primary health care for attending to
                    older adults

Witt, Regina Rigatto; Roos, Maclaine de Oliveira; Carvalho, Nilson Maestri; Silva, Andria Machado da; Rodrigues, Carla Daiane Silva; Santos, Mariana Timmers dos

doi:10.1590/S0080-623420140000700009

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Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP

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Sumário

Artigo Original • Rev. esc. enferm. USP 48 (6) • Dec 2014 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-623420140000700009 copy

Professional competencies in primary health care for attending to older adults

Competencias profesionales para la atención de ancianos en atención primaria a la salud

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Objective

To identify and analyze the necessary competencies in primary health care for attending to older adults.

Method

An exploratory, descriptive, and quali-quantitative study was developed. Three rounds of the Delphi Technique were conducted with participants from primary health care services and a multidisciplinary committee. The first questionnaire asked participants to indicate the competencies needed for attending to older adults in primary health care. They were compiled into a list and added to a Likert Scale (from 1 to 5) for the second and third questionnaires. A consensus criterion of 70% was adopted.

Results

Twenty eight competencies were reached by consensus and were classified into twelve domains.

Conclusion

The competencies reflect Brazilian health care policy and constitute a reference for professional health practice and education when caring for the older adult in primary health care.

Aged; Primary Health Care; Professional competence; Geriatric nursing; Health of the elderly

DOMAIN	COMPETENCIES	%
Critical Thinking	Demonstrates interest for the older adult and availability to deal with issues related to this life stage	85
Critical Thinking	Assesses issues related to their social and relational environment	85
Communication	Demonstrates disposition and patience to listen to the older adult	87
	Demonstrates tolerance with the communication and natural difficulties of this life stage	93
	Acts as a resource, listening to the older adult to attend his/her affective needs	80
	Establishes effective, compassionate and respectful dialog with the older adult, promoting the expression of their needs	96
Assessment	Addresses difficulties of the life stage identifying alterations presented by the older adult	91
	Recognizes and manages manifestations of psychological suffering, including psychosomatic ones	75
	Assess older adults problems with objectivity, aiming at organizing priorities	79
	Acknowledges physical, psychological and social dimensions of ageing, differentiating normal aging processes from illness and disease	83
Technical Skills	Demonstrates technical capacity in oneself professional area to attend physical, cognitive, psychological, spiritual and social needs of the older adult	80
Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Disease Prevention	Works respecting the principle of integrality, seeing the older adult in his/her totality and in a contextualized way	89
	Establishes connections with the older adult, searching for ways to promote changes to improve their life quality	82
	Identifies risk factors to the health of the older adult	85
	Develops preventive actions, promoting the autonomy of the older person, aimed at improving their life quality	72
	Is capable of identifying the frail older adult, including those submitted to situations of mistreatment and violence	74
Illness and Disease Management	Correlates facts, signs and symptoms identified by the older adult for safe care planning and delivery	80
Information and Health Care Technologies	Educates and helps older adults when referring them to other services, procedures or medication purchase	86
Ethics	Demonstrates an ethical attitude and responsibility in daily practice	100
Ethics	Works with commitment and dedication to the older adults to attend their care needs	83
Health Care Systems and Policy	Seeks proactivity, promoting streamlined/efficient service	85
Health Care Systems and Policy	Promotes embracement as a way of establishing priority for the attention and connection of the older adult with the health service	86
Provider of Care	Recognizes the benefits of interdisciplinary team practice in care of older adults	94
Designer/Manager/Coordinator of Care	Establishes priorities along with the older adult and family, facilitating their participation in the caring process	76
Member of a Profession	Acts with autonomy in oneself professional area showing resolute ability to attend to the older adult and his/her family	79
	Demonstrates confidence in the proposed practice, promoting a caring relationship with the older adults and families	89
	Takes responsibility for long life learning required to care for older adults considering age related changes	70

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419 , 05403-000 São Paulo - SP/ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 3061-7553, - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: reeusp@usp.br

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[1] *Correspondence: Regina Rigatto Witt.  Rua São Manoel, 963,  CEP 90620-110 - Poa, RS, Brazil . E-mail: regina.witt@ufrgs.br