Condições de vida, saúde, apoio social e cuidado de idosos que moram só

Abstract

To analyze the elderlies´ living arrangements o and their relationships with sociodemographic and health variables. Method: This is a survey study, descriptive with a quantitative approach, developed in the municipality of São José do Rio Preto, from August 2019 to March 2020 through an interview with a semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 618 elderly people participated voluntarily, randomly selected in a convenience sample that considered the regions of the municipality (territorial division into ten regions), age (between 60 and 69 years, between 70 and 79 years, and with 80 years or more) and gender (male and female). Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics using frequency and Pearson's and Fisher's Chi-Square tests when necessary. A p≤0.05 was considered as statistical significance. Results: The sample comprised 618 elderlies, of whom 153 (27.4%) lived alone; predominantly male (392-63.4%), age group 60-75 years (453-73.3%); no partner (313-50.6%); responsible for supporting the family (390-63.1%), no debt (445-72.1%); 146 (23.6%) need help regularly; 420 (68.0%) count on someone to help; 526 (85.1%) count on family to take care of the house; 537 (86.9%) have someone to turn to in times of distress. Conclusion: Considering that the aging process in Brazil has been occurring rapidly, without preparedness for this new reality, this theme is urgent in the field of research, to investigate scientific evidence to support strategies and public policies that can assist the elderly population based on their needs for some supporting as well as caring.