Social protection of old age in Portugal. The particular case of nursing homes

Abstract

The policy of care in old age is related to sociodemographic changes, transformations in family structure and dynamics, the individualization of social relations, centered on autonomy and independence. These changes provide an "unprotection" to the elderly, associated with other risks, namely the greater probability of chronic and incapacitating diseases, the need for care, in a time of shortage of available family caregivers, the greater probability of insufficient income, low level of schooling and lack of access to information, associated to scarce levels of social participation. This article intends to present the reflection about old age as a social problem, carried out during the research on the Promotion and Preservation of Dignity in the context of care in nursing homes, carried out in the context of the PhD in Nursing of the University of Lisbon.