A EXPERIÊNCIA DE VIVENCIAR A DISFAGIA OROFARÍNGEA APÓS O ACIDENTE VASCULAR CEREBRAL

Abstract

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common disorder in people that survived a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). It is a disability that contributes to the lack of functionality and dependency to eat. These eating limitations lead to clinical risks and adaptation needs to deal with the restrictions. The objective of the present dissertation, a qualitative case study, was to describe the experience of living with oropharyngeal dysphagia after a CVA from the patients‟ and their relative caregivers‟ perspectives. The dissertation reports seven cases of people who survived a CVA; these patients live in the southwest of Bahia and were discharged from hospital presenting signs and symptoms of dysphagia between October 2015 and July 2016. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews at the patients‟ homes. Five patients and seven relative caregivers were interviewed individually or in pairs. By applying an interpretative thematic analysis, the following thematic topics were identified: changes in preparing, handling and offering food; difficulties and feelings of the patients and relative caregivers before dysphagia; and social support. Confrontation of the signs and symptoms of dysphagia occurred with little orientation, mainly in the transition from hospital to home care, and little formal support. It was observed that the signs and symptoms of this disorder, such as cough and choking, are frequent, especially during the postdischarge period, and cause dissatisfaction and reveal a lack of preparation to deal with difficulties. The relative caregivers that did not receive orientations and help to manage the eating routine of the patients faced a greater difficulty to prepare, handle and offer food. The results show the importance of interdisciplinary team work, mainly to prepare the family for hospital discharge, and the relatives‟ commitment in the care process regarding the application of educational practices and training to achieve humanized care and a higher quality of life for patients. In addition to these measures, the findings confirm the need for speech therapy interventions focused on the evaluation of patients with CVA and follow-up of their eating patterns throughout the rehabilitation process.