Cacilda Gonçalves VELASCO; Cassia Akemi Yamada EGUTHI; Kátia dos Reis MEDAGLIA; Silvana Setsuko NAKAZONE; Erika Christina
Gouveia e SILVA
Temas em Educ. e Saúde, Araraquara, v. 20, n. 00, e024004, 2024. e-ISSN: 2526-3471
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26673/tes.v20i00.19010 3
Introduction
Psychomotricity is the execution of a thought through a cohesive, harmonious, and
precise motor act (Fernandes; Barros, 2015). It is the science that studies the integral
development of the human being, from conception until death (Vasconcelos, 2003). Each phase
presents a level of maturity, acquisitions, and a decline with aging. Gerontopsychomotricity, on
the other hand, specifically studies human retrogenesis, the biopsychosocial aspects of the aging
process, considering each elderly person with their abilities, difficulties, declines, and losses,
i.e., involution (Fonseca, 2009).
Understanding this process and having knowledge of Gerontopsychomotricity, which
aims to maintain functional capacities, as well as to improve and enhance self-awareness and
the effectiveness of actions, especially in daily living activities (Balbinotti, 2005), allows the
elderly to recognize the power of their wisdom, value their abilities, and highlight their
strengths. This facilitates the management of certain physical limitations and losses,
encouraging self-care through the development of personal health habits. Such intervention will
certainly lead the elderly to reflect on their attitudes, providing greater possibilities for adapting
to the changes inherent in aging (Gallahue, Ozmun, Goodway, 2013; Levy, 2000; Vasconcelos,
2003).
Population aging is one of humanity’s greatest triumphs, but also one of our biggest
challenges. The World Health Organization argues that countries can afford aging if
governments, international organizations, and civil society implement “active aging” policies
and programs that improve the health, participation, and safety of older citizens (Fonseca,
2009). The time to plan and act is now (WHO, 2005).
Since this process is inevitable and constitutes a life stage that must be learned, as it
requires adaptation (Levy, 2000), Psychomotricity can have a preventive effect, preserving
functional tonicity, flexible postural control, a positive body image, practical spatial and
temporal organization, and the integration and prolongation of ideomotor praxes, perfectly
adapted to the specific functional needs of the elderly. This helps them avoid immobility,
passivity, isolation, loneliness, depression, dependency, institutionalization, and segregation,
giving the terminal phase of life the dignity it deserves (Balbinotti, 2005; Vasconcelos, 2003).
For this intervention, a Gerontopsychomotor Assessment is of fundamental importance.
Today, numerous assessment instruments are in different fields aimed at the elderly. Although
several authors have adapted and validated assessment tools for older adults, there is still a gap