Family support in institutional settings refers to the active, emotional, and physical presence of family members in the daily lives of institutionalized older adults. This bond is essential to preserve the identity, sense of belonging, self-esteem, and emotional well-being of the senior.
Causes
Institutionalization is often the result of multiple factors: physical or cognitive decline, absence of primary support networks, socioeconomic conditions, or family decisions. In this context, family support is essential as it may decrease due to distance, family conflicts, or lack of awareness about its importance when the senior is institutionalized.
Symptoms
The absence of family support can manifest in symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, and decreased interest in daily activities. These symptoms can be confused with signs of aging, but these behaviors are indicators of loneliness and emotional abandonment.
Consequences
The lack of family support can be affected cognitively and emotionally, increasing the risk of depression and generating feelings of loneliness. However, a constant family presence improves the quality of life, strengthens the sense of belonging, and reduces the risk of mental illness.
Risk factors
The main risk factors include: lack of economic resources, absence of support networks, lack of knowledge about the emotional impact of institutionalization, and work overload of family members.
Disease control
Family support can act as a protective factor against mental and physical illnesses. The implementation of activities that promote family participation, together with the interdisciplinary work of professionals, can significantly improve the general condition of the senior.
Preventive recommendations
- Encourage regular visits and outings: Establish flexible schedules that facilitate family visits and outings that help maintain family connection.
- Promote constant communication: Use calls or video calls as an alternative for those family members who have difficulty attending in person.
- Include the family in institutional activities: Celebrations, workshops, and meetings that integrate family members.
- Training for family members: Provide information about aging and how to support the senior emotionally.
- Family psychological support: Offer therapeutic spaces for family members to understand and manage the institutionalization process.
Each recommendation seeks to strengthen the emotional bond between the senior and their family, promoting a dignified, active, and emotionally healthy old age.
Conclusion
Family support is essential for the integral well-being of the institutionalized senior, since family involvement decreases social isolation and symptoms of depression. Given this, it is important that even though the adult is in a new space, the institution promotes the active participation of the family as part of the family’s co-responsibility.