Dependencia y entorno residencial y familiar de las personas mayores de 75 años que viven solasAutopercepción y comportamiento

Resum

Old age is the stage in life with the highest ratio of disabled people. Nonetheless, it is important to add that a conserved perception of a good quality of life will depend on each person’s financial means and background. It is now acknowledged that most elderly people prefer to continue living in their own homes, even if they are alone and suffer from a disability. This research study aims to gain a deeper insight into the influence of gender, the level of education, social network and autonomy on whether an elderly person of over 75 years of age lives in an old people’s home or not. More specifically, it aims to explain the extent to which gender and the family’s level of education influence perceptions of their behaviour. The study is set within the field of social criticism, using the theory of structuralist constructivism and active sociology as a guide, based on Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical approach. The findings demonstrate the challenge that the ageing population represents and changes in the structure of families. It highlights the low professional focus on family care and questions why living in an old people’s home is preferred, emphasizing the need to gain a better understanding of elderly peoples’ values and beliefs in order to promote strategies aimed at increasing personal autonomy. The study suggests that the current over-fragmentation of social and health care resources for the elderly has a negative effect on their efficiency. It also highlights the current lack of awareness that the elderly and families have of their own usefulness. Likewise, it demonstrates a need for the social and health services to free themselves from the sole influence of the biological paradigm (or medical model), no longer regarding or practising geriatric care as if it were a form of charity. In turn, it suggests that a differentiation should be made among the activities of caring for, offering support for and accompanying the elderly, both in homes and in institutions, proposing more customized social services and better access to them. In short, the study recommends the strengthening of community services, allowing the elderly to stay in their own homes if they wish, while freeing families from the obligation of having to care for them.