Support policies for dependent older adults: Europe and Brazil

Abstract

This theoretical essay discusses long-term care policies for dependent older adults. It aims to analyze the content and strategies that guided the formulation of the so-called “depen-dence policies” in some European states, seeking guidance to formulate actions related to the same issue in the Brazilian case. The knowledge bases are official documents and scientific papers analyzing the institutionalized proposals. The study shows that all the countries investigated included dependence policies within their social security system framework. Some offer total protection, while others only partial protection to older adults and family caregivers. However, older adults and their caregivers never fail to receive the care they need. In Brazil, some local experiences meet comprehensive care requirements. Initiatives of Belo Horizonte and São Paulo are narrated, and while important, they are not policies. They are succes-sful cases that can evolve to increase social aware-ness or simply disappear as non-institutionalized experiences. The issue addressed in this paper is very relevant, due to the inexorable fact of the accelerated growth of the long-lived population, which requires care from others the most.