Apoyo social y condiciones de vida de adultos mayores que viven en la pobreza urbana en México

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to analyze social support living conditions among poor elderly people in Mexican cities. A qualitative study with eight focus groups was carried out in Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Chilpancingo, Culiacan, Mexico, in 2005. Forty men 63 women participated in the study. The main support for the elderly in daily living came from their immediate family in some cases from neighbors. Social support was basically material economic, in addition to providing company transportation for medical appointments. Daily emotional support, companionship, social inclusion were minimal or absent. The study identified a significant lack of support from government religious or civil society organizations. The family is still the main source of support for the elderly. Increased government collaboration is dramatically needed to combat the misconception that the needs of the elderly are the individual family's responsibility rather than a collaborative effort by society.