Author:

• MARCIA REGINA MARTINS ALVARENGA - Alvarenga, MRM - Dourados, MS - Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul - <marciaregina@uems.br>

Thematic Area:

Não Categorizado

Abstract:

Introduction: The aging process is a product of the cultural, political, socio-economic and sanitary conditions in which the individual or social group is REPLACEed. Social support systems are essential to meeting the specific needs of the elderly. Objectives: to describe the socio-demographic profile and the social support networks of elderly patients served by the Family Health Strategy. Methodology: a cross-sectional study with elderly patients who reside in Dourados, MS. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire and a Minimum Relationships Map for the Elderly (MMRI). Results: of the 503 elderly patients interviewed, 69.0% were female, 53.1% were illiterate, 58.3% earned less than one minimum salary and 82.9% lived with others. The MMRI showed that the family was the most important provider of care in all the dimensions assessed, but the eldery have small social networks. Conclusions: Elderly patients seen by the Family Health Teams have low incomes and little formal education, and social support networks that are too small to meet their needs. Keywords: social support, elderly, family health

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