LUDIC ACTIVITIES AS STRATEGY OF HEALTH EDUCATION WITH ELDERLY PEOPLE

Abstract

The present study was the result of an extension activity in nursing gerontology area. Although, it aims to report an experience of the Nursing Tutorial Education Program group from the Federal University of Goias – Jatai Regional, in the use of ludic activities as strategy of health education and social integration with elderly people. The intervention was performed in two stages. The first one was the literature revision, planning and production of the didactic material. The second stage was the action implementation with elderly people, through active technologies. During the year of 2013, four meetings occurred with the elderly that lived in a non-profit institution. By the analysis of the group dynamic, it was possible to see an excellent integration between the elderly and the team that promoted the action. The activity aroused the participants’ interests that asked questions and talked about their personal experiences. It was a challenge to promote health education to elderly with ludic activities, but the outcomes were positives, because they could participate actively in it making themselves co-responsible for the health-disease process. In this way, it is believed that this kind of strategy promotes meaningful learning and social interaction, and helps the maintenance of functional and cognitive state of elderly people.