The objective of this study was to develop a nursing socio-educational action group that could awaken the elderly and their relatives to the perception and comprehension of the value for caring for one's self, as an essential part of maintaining autonomous and active life, as a way to maintain quality of life in aging, and according to any circumstances in the sickness-health process. The theoretical-methodological references adopted to support the study were based upon the concepts of Orem's Self-care Theory, and on the educational concepts of Paulo Freire. The study resulted in the construction of the socio-educational program for group action called "Grupo Aquí e Agora" (Here and Now Group). In other words, a light technology for care was implanted, focusing upon health-care education as applied through nursing, whose development arose together with hospitalized geriatric patients and their relatives. It was observed that the group health-care education efforts presented positive and noticeable results within the hospital. Such results favor the importance placed upon transforming self-care behavior to autonomous, independent and interdependent behavior, all necessary for a more healthy living, principally in the case of geriatric patients with family-member caregivers.
Frail elderly; Patient escort service; Family; Health education; Nursing