Access to primary health care of elderly people: perspectives of family health professionals in a municipality of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract Background Primary health care is vital in providing attention to the elderly lifelong, due to the heterogeneity and the specificity of this population, particularly in relation to access. Objective The objective of the present work was to analyze the perception of the oldest access to Primary Health Care from the perspective of professionals of the Family Health Strategy in a municipality in Southern Brazil. Method A qualitative study and exploratory, attended by ten professionals linked to the Family Health Strategy was carried out. The data were collected by means of interviews, whose questions about access were based and adapted from Primary Care Assessment Tool and analyzed according to the precepts of Thematic Content Analysis. Results The participants mentioned as facilitators of access to conducting visits, the reception and fast service and by spontaneous demand. On the other hand, there were perceived barriers, such as the units are not open at all times, lack of receptionist, far from other services when the units are closed and lack of priority to care of lived. Conclusion It is possible to conclude that, through the perception of health professionals, many factors of access are related to the process of work and there is a limited understanding of the elderly must be specific due to physiological changes and social in this population.