COTIDIANO E CONTEÚDOS INCONSCIENTES DE CUIDADORES E REPERCUSSÕES DO CUIDADO

Abstract

Children and adolescents who find themselves in a situation of vulnerability are, for their rights, removed from the suffering environment and sent to shelter institutions, where they remain indefinitely, until they are referred to a substitute family or to return to their family of origin. In the institution, the host is faced with a new way of being cared for, with new rules and relationships. The objective of this study was to apprehend the meaning of care for children and adolescents under care, in the perception of caregivers of shelter institutions. This is a qualitative study carried out with 42 caregivers of children and adolescents who are in foster care in the city of Campo Grande (MS). A semi-structured interview was used as a research instrument, transcribed and systematized by the methodological foundation of the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) and contribution to Winnicott's theory. Ten central ideas were identified, organized into two thematic axes: experiences and emotional and daily aspects and institutional aspects. The characterization of the caregiver was based on gender, age, education and length of service in the role. The survey revealed that most caregivers are female, the youngest being 24 years old and the oldest being 60 years old, few caregivers have completed higher education and have been in the role of caregiver of foster children for more than a year. As for the meaning of being a caregiver, this study revealed ten central ideas: caregiver as a mother, affective involvement, caregiver desires, gains in being a caregiver, profile of the host, psychological support, vision of care, unpreparedness, orientation and reality of the institution. The results showed the complexity of the caregiver's work and the ambiguity in relation to their feelings, as they recognize the importance of bonding and an affective relationship with the child or adolescent who is welcomed, but they experience the suffering of separation in the unwelcome. Regarding the caregiver's perception of emotional exhaustion and the difficulty in daily work situations, the lack of emotional support or to deal with practical issues involving the care of children and adolescents under care stand out. It is necessary to pay special attention to the caregivers of children and adolescents who are welcomed, creating a space for listening and, thus, for the awareness of their feelings, to deal with the difficulties that involve the daily work with this specific population. The study made it possible to reflect on the need for a favorable environment so that the host can walk in their development.