A Self-Care Strategy for the Older Adult with Colorectal Cancer and the Community Level

Abstract

Introduction: Older adults with colorectal cancer seek to adapt to this health condition but need to be instructed by the community health team through strategies for them to perform actions aimed at self-care.

Objective: To design a self-care strategy for older adults with colorectal cancer in the community.

Methods: Nonexperimental study was carried out on the design a self-care strategy for the older adults with colorectal cancer in the community of Policlinic Sur de Sancti Spíritus (January to May 2019), which consisted of three stages. The first stage was bibliographic review, the second stage was strategy design, and the third stage was validation by experts. Theoretical, empirical and statistical methods were used to analyze the data and instruments (the ability test and the perception of self-care) were used to measure the level of self-care.

Results: Thirty-two articles were found out of 113 identified and that responded to the research needs. The design considered the features and criteria of the strategies and the theoretical foundations of self-care. Among the experts selected to validate the strategy, family medicine specialists with ten or more years of experience, with master's degree and assistant professor category predominated. When they issued their criterions to evaluate the actions and activities of the strategy, the category of very adequate predominated.

Conclusions: The designed strategy is a methodological work tool for physicians in primary health care, since it allows better follow-up of older adults with colorectal cancer in the community.