Beliefs and knowledge of formal caregivers about old age and its relationships with sociodemographic variables

Abstract Attitudes based on outdated stereotypes about aging can limit development possibilities in old age. The objective of this paper was to describe the beliefs and the level of knowledge about old age among formal caregivers of the elderly, verifying the relationship with the socio-demographic variables age, education and length of service in the job. The sample included 32 caregivers from two Long-Term Institutions. This is a correlational study, based on a cross-sectional survey. Results: in general, caregivers’ beliefs regarding old age were neutral, that is, neither positive nor negative; the knowledge on the topic were scarce, and the longer the time in the function, the more positive beliefs were manifested about the autonomy of the elderly (agency domain). It is believed that investment in the training of caregivers will increase the benefits both for the professional class (caregivers), yielding care skills improvement, and for the elderly themselves, by providing greater quality in the elderly-elderly and elderly-caregiver interaction.