Objective:

To identify nursing diagnoses in caregivers of institutionalized elderly and to associate them with stressors, according to the Betty Neuman Model.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study with 41 formal caregivers of institutionalized elderly. The data were collected using a structured form according to the Betty Neuman Systems Model. Subsequently, the diagnoses were formulated based on the NANDA-I Taxonomy and these were associated with the stressors perceived by the caregiver.

Results:

There was a prevalence of women with eight to 12 years of schooling who did not attend a caregiver course for the elderly. The stressors perceived by caregivers were family, financial, work and health. Fifteen nursing diagnoses were identified, highlighting: Sedentary lifestyle, anxiety, stress overload and impaired comfort.

Conclusions:

The use of the Neuman Model facilitated the identification of nursing diagnoses. The family stressor was the most prevalent in the caregivers’ report. The main diagnoses identified show the need to meet the health demands of caregivers, since they can impact on the quality of care provided to the elderly.

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