The concept of Development Niche consists of three subsystems: the physical and social
environment, the psychology of caregivers and care practices. The present study aimed to
apply the concept of Niche for the study of development in old age focusing on the care
provided in Long Term Care Institution for Elderly (LTC), through environmental
research, beliefs and knowledge of caregivers and care practices. The study was conducted
in a Philanthropic LTC and was attended by five formal caregivers. The results indicate
that the bathroom was the space that received more negative evaluations; In addition, we
identified little interaction among older and no activities that encourage this practice; all
caregivers are female, mean age 48.2 years and with low education; beliefs were neutral in
general, especially in the domain that agency received more negative evaluations; the level
of knowledge about old age was low and care practices, mostly involving childish
treatment, devaluation of understanding of the elderly, threat of aggression etc. It follows
that the subsystems of the concept of Development Niche can also be used to evaluate the
development and care in LTC, since the presence of a poor environment stimulation, with
caregivers who have negative beliefs about the independence of older and with few
knowledge in gerontology may favor the emergence of inadequate care practices, making
it difficult to maintain the functional capacity of the elderly.
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