Indicaciones de autocuidado para el adulto mayor cuidador de niños: Una mirada desde enfermería

According to the report: "Demographic aging. Colombia 1,951-2,020 population dynamics and population structures", the population group of people over 60 is older than other population groups; this fact poses great challenges for the nursing professional who must prepare and contribute to meet the different health needs of the elderly; even more so if it is taken into account that they become caregivers of their grandchildren voluntarily or by commitment due to changes in the family structure given by divorces, migration, single mothers, women's entry into educational and work life, among others, which have led to changes in family roles. Objective: To identify how the role of the caregiver of his/her grandchild affects the health of this elderly person who plays this role, in order to avoid or prevent complications caused by such task. Discussion: This caregiver role implies positive and negative aspects in the elderly’s health; negative aspects such as leaving his/her self-care and social life behind, and positive ones such as feelings of satisfaction of feeling him/herself useful and productive. Conclusions: Although the health condition of the elderly person who plays the role of caregiver for his/her grandchild is affected both positively and negatively,  this study lays emphasis on the negative aspect because there may be a greater risk of emotional, cardiovascular and osteomuscular problems, and also in the use of strategies to reduce such risks. [Quevedo-leon L, Alvarado HR. Self-Care Instructions for the Elder-Caregiver of Children: A Look from Nursing. MedUNAB 2017-2018; 20(3): 362-367].