This study aims to present a case study that reveals the health speech profile of individuals living in a long stay institution for the elderly, located in a city in the south-central region of Paraná state in Brazil, based on the perception of its own residents. This is a case report from a qualitative research, conducted by means of a semi-structured interview made to 15 senior citizens. Upon examining the reports from the elderly, it can be affirmed that the institutional environment favors isolation. As for vocal health, most of the elderly report a non-perception of change in their voice with aging. Regarding the aspects related to the listening perception, it is possible to observe their awareness of the social and emotional consequences of this problem to their lives. Regarding eating, all of them mention some difficulty in swallowing. Thus, due to the importance of giving voice/time to the institutionalized elderly, this research points out opportunities to reflect on the construction of speech therapy care directed at this population, based on the need for interaction/socialization of the institutionalized elderly, so that the long stay institutions are not meant to be simply "warehouses of the elderly."
Long Stay Institution for the Elderly; Health; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
