Nursing care for elderly women in primary health care: an integrative review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: This article addresses the challenges and perspectives in the health of elderly women amid demographic transformation through nursing care. Furthermore, gender inequalities persist into old age, affecting the well-being and resources available to women. These approaches aim to improve quality of life, promoting holistic and personalized health for senile women in a dynamic demographic context. General objective: To analyze the main evidence of nursing care in primary care for elderly women. Method: Secondary listening of the literature review type, with a qualitative approach based on categorical content analysis. A survey of the topic was carried out in the SCIELO, PUBMED and LILACS databases using the descriptors “elderly”, “woman” and “health”, together with the use of filters to select review articles published between the years 2019 to 2023, totaling 1,781 articles found. The inclusion criteria used were: articles published in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The exclusion criteria were: articles that were not available in full, repeated in the databases and that did not correspond to the central theme of the study. Results: In this same context, it is worth reflecting on the health of elderly women, with comorbidities, continuous use of medications, decreased consciousness, depressed symptoms and their sexuality. Discussion: In view of the articles analyzed, it was found that the most common actions in primary care, with emphasis on the elderly groups, were bodily activities, followed by psychological support and health education. In addition, there is a need for greater institutional investment in continuing education actions for nursing professionals, so that good care practices are implemented in the prevention, staging and management of diseases related to the elderly. Nursing plays a fundamental role in the prevention and tracking of symptoms and clinical signs, as these are in more direct contact with patients, and can prevent the disease from setting in when care is offered early.Conclusion: Based on the results found, we can see the importance of nursing care in health education as a tool for autonomy and as a search for self-care for elderly women.