Strategy for using role playing in health interventions with the elderly

Abstract

Aging is influenced by biological, psychological and social factors which can lead to the vulnerability of older people. Given this scenario, the aim of this study was to discuss role-playing teaching practices in the midst of human ageing, highlighting the applications of active methodologies in the teaching-learning process for older people. It consisted of a descriptive, qualitative and cross-sectional study, characterized as a narrative literature review. Materials were collected between March and May 2025 on search platforms, using the descriptors “learning”, “ageing” and “health education”, selecting materials in the form of books and articles published in scientific journals, with 34 materials being considered for analysis. The normative course of ageing can make elderly people vulnerable, so learning is highlighted as a way of coping with adversity. Based on this, attention is drawn to the role playing technique as an enhancer of learning insofar as the content is contextualized in an empirical way. It was concluded that learning can help in the process of coping with adversity in ageing, and that this strategy is enhanced by the role-playing technique.