GROUP OF CAREGIVERS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECT OF CARING ABOUT THOSE WHO CARE

Introduction: Little has been written about the so-called "invisible patients ", present in consultations and home visits, but always hidden under the responsibility of caring for another individual. Several times goes unnoticed unless their help is requested by the health care professional. When this reality is combined with other social determinants of health such as poverty, violence and abandonment, the scenario worsens and the outcomes are almost always unfavorable. Objective: Analyze the effects of a group dedicated to the demands of caregivers. Method: In August 2015, the Area 5 team of the Family Clinic Zilda Arns, started a mutual support group work called "Group of Caregivers" dedicated to non- professional caregivers of all ages. A key feature of the group is that its format was decided by all participants, going against the conventional format of "educational groups ". To assess the effects of this group, a questionnaire was developed, with open questions, most of them suggested by the participants. With the outcomes, a qualitative research was performed through frequency analysis. Results and Conclusions: After a few meetings, it was possible to note a significant change of speech in some participants and the observation of such changes provided sufficient material for this study to take place. Qualitative analysis shows that the implementation of the group was positive in many aspects. Going through the responses, it is possible to conclude that improvement in life quality, increase on self-esteem, individual empowerment are some of the effects of the group of Caregivers.