Quality of life of the institutionalized elderly: scope review

Introduction: The number of elderly people has been growing gradually in brazil, reinforcing the need to develop ways to offer quality of life to this population. the aging process is accompanied by physical and/or mental weaknesses, and with that it is necessary to guarantee the quality of life of the elderly. many seniors become dependent in old age, needing family support and care. Long-stay institutions for the elderly are collective residential forms that house seniors aged 60 or over, whether government or not. Thus, actions that promote or preserve the quality of life and health of this institutionalized population are increasingly necessary. Objective: To identify scientific evidence on the quality of life of institutionalized elderly people. Methodology: This is a scope review, following the Joanna Briggs Institute method. Studies published in Portuguese, Spanish and English, from January/2018 to June/2023, in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health (PUBMED) and ScientificElectronic Library Online (SciELO) databases were included. It was used as a guiding question "How is the quality of life of the institutionalized elderly?", and as descriptors (1) Elderly; (2) Quality of life; (3) Health of the Institutionalized Elderly (4) Long Stay Institution for the Elderly. Results: 461 articles were identified in the databases, of which 96 were excluded because they were duplicates, 324 after reading the titles and abstracts and 36 after reading them in full, constituting the final sample with five articles that answered the question asked by the author. Of the five articles analyzed, two address the negative influence of loneliness and functional dependence on institutionalized elderly people, impairing their quality of life; independent elderly people perform better in the domains of sensory, physical and psychological functioning, unlike dependents who are more likely to develop depression. Two other articles show that the absence of natural teeth in good condition and, or the lack of them without replacement by dental prostheses, impair the chewing process and directly affect the quality of life of this population. One article points out that chronic pain impairs the performance of basic activities of daily living, thus leading to a worsening of the quality of life of the elderly. Conclusion: Several factors can influence the aging process and ensure the personal satisfaction of the elderly, pointing to the need for a special look at the challenges these people face, especially when institutionalized. The presence of chronic pathologies negatively impact, cause limitations and impair the quality of life. Other factors may influence the quality of life of this population, such as depression, loneliness, functional dependence, chronic pain and impaired oral health. Permanent education must be worked on by the active health team, developing strategies and multidisciplinary activities, as they are direct participants in the daily lives of institutionalized elderly people and their level of knowledge about aging in a healthy way directly affects the results of quality care.