The current population aging process has focused attention on many research and new
services. The researches advance in the understanding of the specificities of aging,
among the study themes, the formal caregiver of institutionalized elderly was chosen in
this research. The study aimed to evaluate the psychosocial risks and stress of formal
caregivers, who work in Long Stay Institutions for the Elderly. Participants were 33
caregivers of elderly people who responded to the Protocol for the Evaluation of
Psychosocial Work Risks; Perceived Stress Inventory and performed laboratory analysis
of saliva to gauge cortisol levels. The main results indicate that the caregivers perceived
themselves to be less stressed (mean = 20 ± 7.830; p <0.0001); cortisol levels were also
below the reference value established by the laboratory (mean = 9.2 ± 3.59; P <0.0001);
The organization of the work presented a high risk for them (mean = 3.00 ± 1.34, p
<0.000); Found that there is a statistically significant relationship between cortisol
levels and the high risk of the prescribed work organization (r = -0.4394; p = 0.0359), as
well as between the perceived stress and the feeling of disqualification in the caregivers
( R = 0.48854, p = 0.0042). Male caregivers with higher education have been more
dissatisfied with the work performed, although the qualification of this workforce is
increasing. It is concluded that intrinsic factors (gender, age, schooling ...) added to the
work environment are determinant for the psychosocial risks and stress of the formal
caregivers.
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