Coping Strategies of Disease by Elderly Hospitalized Women

Abstract The objective of the present study was to analyze the strategies for coping with disease by elderly hospitalized women. Participants included 10 elderly women hospitalized in the medical clinic of a hospital, aged 60 to 73, and sample selection was intentional or convenience-based. For data collection we used a social demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Data analysis was performed by the software Iramuteq and the Hierarchic Descendent Classification. The results revealed that participants used adaptation mechanisms of confrontation focused on the problem, represented by the description of the medical routine and care with the body; and focused on the emotion, characterized by strategies of religiosity, resilience and by the social affective support. Rejection or denial of death emerged as a mechanism to deal with the idea of finitude. Knowing the strategies of confrontation of the disease and their repercussions can help in health assistance, aiming to implement actions that lead to the improvement of the quality of life for the elderly.