title: [The perception of death and dying of professionals working in a long-term care institution for the elderly].
abstract: Population aging and a shortage of caregivers result in a growing demand for institutionalization, and finitude is one the reflections that permeates aging. Living with death is part of the daily routine of health professionals resulting in emotional overload. This study sought to ascertain the experiences of the process of dying and death of health care professionals in a long-stay institution for the elderly. Methodological and theoretical Grounded Data Theory and Symbolic Interaction were used, respectively. Twenty health professionals from varied backgrounds were interviewed. The core topic of the results was: reconstructing ways to deal with the circumstances of dying and death. This led to the following categories: seeing death as part of human existence; seeking to acquire knowledge to handle cases of death and dying; reflecting on one's own death. Without fertile ground for the systematic examination of the topic, the interaction among workers about the exchange of experiences on death and dying remain restricted to the subjective level. In the conclusion, the importance of a metamorphosis in the institutional context and in health education, with more specific focus on thanatology, is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, R. Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho 400, Chanadour, 35.501-296 Divinópolis MG, Brazil. pperesoliveira@gmail.com
authors.forename: Patrícia Peres
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Juliana Gimenez
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Selma Maria da Fonseca
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Viegas
authors.forename: Andrea Bezerra
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D013795:Thanatology; D055815:Young Adult