O apoio social à família com idosos dependentes

: limites e potencialidades numa perspetiva de capital social

Abstract

The various configurations in understanding the phenomenon of aging today and the sociopolitical challenges that are evidenced from an active and healthy ageing perspective pose new and profound challenges in the way social and institutional intervention should be understood and perspectived. This research analyses the limitations and potentialities of social support to families, as well as the impact that dependence causes in the family context. We tried to understand the adequacy of support responses to families with dependent elderly, both from the perspective of the Main Family Caregivers and Social Workers, highlighting the perspective of a generative Social Service, capable of enhancing and generating social capital that allows for more innovative and comprehensive social support. Qualitatively, this investigation is designed using semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to Main Family Caregivers and Social Workers. Complementing with the network maps, before and after the situation of dependence of the elderly, analysing the networks of proximity and services in the life of the Main Family Caregivers, in order to enhance or extend the social capital of families and dependent elderly. Data analysis and treatment was based on the logic of category analysis, which identifies changes in Main Family Caregivers network maps, projecting formal care as a significant process in the lives of families, implying public policies in the professional practice of Social Worker. The data reveal that it is important to provide more flexible responses in the care of dependent elderly people, not only in the community, but in the construction of pillars that can lead to different actions, using new resources (namely technological) and new forms of articulation between existing resources and formal or formal responses. It is imminent to rethink the design of aging on the basis of prevention, solutions that ensure active social integration. All this indicates that there is a lot of path taken, but cumulatively leads us to a new intervention capable of resizing public policies, framed in a longevity approach, promoting more active communities capable of enhancing other resources.

Date of Award	29 Jan 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa University of Coimbra
Supervisor	Cristina Maria Pinto de Albuquerque (Supervisor)