Communication is essential for life and inherent to man. Communication brings opportunity for individuals to relate to each other, share ideas, thoughts, life experiences and feelings. It also enables us to exchange information and build an environment to better serve and interact with each other. This paper was aimed to identify personal uncomfor table experience among elderly inpatients regarding privacy and territorial invasion in a public hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 30 elderly patients were inter viewed with a standard questionnaire. The most common complaints among hospitalized elder patients were hospital ward noise level; negligence on maintaining privacy and invasion of personal space. Regarding invasion of personal space, many patients complained about being manipulated without previous consent and perceived being treated with disrespect during physical exam with banalization of the human body.
Aged; Nonverbal Comunication; Hospitalization