Brito SG, Iraizoz BAM

Language: Spanish
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ABSTRACT

Objective: to assess the biological, psychological and social situation of the older people in a population living in Arroyo Naranjo municipality.
Methods: prospective, observational and descriptive study was conducted in which an original survey prepared by the authors of the paper and validated by an expert committee of psychologists and geriatricians was used. Four hundred people over 60 years were surveyed from January to December, 2007. They were divided in three groups based on their participation in the grandparent's clubs, the homes for grandparents and those not involved in neither of the former. Data from the interviews were included in a database and the percentages of the selected variables were estimated.
Results: of the participants, 88.2 % (353 grandparents) suffered at least one chronic disease. They felt ill-treated in the family physician's office, in the polyclinics, at the dental clinics and at hospitals in 14.7 %, 9.2 %, 11.5 % and 9.5 % of the sample, respectively. In this study, 19.8 % of the older people believed that their families did not support them as they should. One hundred seventy seven of the participants, who accounted for 44.2 % of the total number, stated that the elderly are discriminated.
Conclusions: medical assistance is good; however it was not the best in a small percentage of cases, since the principles of benefaction, non-malefaction, justice and autonomy were not respected. The grandparents' clubs and the homes for grandparents do help the older people to remain integrated to the society.