Envelhecer no Brasil: a construção de um modelo de cuidado

Renato Peixoto Veras, Martha Oliveira

The article discusses the development of a health care model for the elderly, seeking to add to the discussion about the aging of the population in the context of a new epidemiological and demographic scenario. Considering that the aging process in Brazil is relatively recent, more relevant social movements have been described in the construction of health policies directed towards the elderly. After an initial description of the main milestones, we present the model of care considered most appropriate for the best care of the elderly. Based on a critical analysis of health care models for the elderly, the article proposes an approach to care for this age group, focusing on health promotion and prevention, in order to avoid overloading the health system. Integrated care models aim to solve the problem of fragmented and poorly coordinated care in current health systems. The more the healthcare professional knows the history of his patient, the better the results; this is how contemporary and resolutive models of care should work, and it is these that are recommended by the most important national and international health agencies. This article is particularly concerned with a care model that is of higher quality, and is more resolutive and cost-effective.