Situación sociofamiliar de los adultos mayores del cantón El Guabo y su incidencia en la calidad de vida, 2022

Abstract

The main objective of the project is to determine the influence of the socio-family situation on the quality of life of the elderly in the canton of El Guabo, year 2022. The topic is important because it introduces the problems of a vulnerable sector of the population that, due to their helplessness, cannot support themselves. The specific objectives are aimed at determining the economic income of the families of El Guabo who live with older adults, identifying the family environment and its influence on the communication processes of older adults in the canton, identifying the ways in which families solve the daily needs of the elderly, and determining the strategies promoted by local authorities to improve the quality of life of older adults. On the other hand, it should be mentioned that the sociological foundation of the work is structuralist functional, where it is important to note that from this theory the aging stage alters the development of family groups, which are the core of society, altering family relationships and their functioning, so it is important that the State pays attention to the complexities of older adults. Currently in Ecuador, the number of older adults comprises 7.4% of the 17.5 million Ecuadorians, 786,000 live in vulnerable situations, which means that 6 out of 10 of this group are economically dependent on their families. Within the Canton of El Guabo there are 123 beneficiaries of the programs and projects implemented by the Municipal Decentralized Autonomous Government through the Patronato de Amparo Social. The research approach is quantitative, the method is hypothetical deductive and to collect information surveys are applied to older adults and their families, the results allow a diagnosis of the situation. A proposal was developed to sensitize the families of the canton of El Guabo, through workshops to improve the lives of older adults, since there are 123 who attend the Patronato de Amparo Social and who would benefit from the workshops to perform recreational activities, also carrying out a follow-up through home visits to know their physical condition and social integration. As a result of the investigation, it was identified that 57% of the families have an income of less than $400, which is a low income, since these families live with an older adult, taking into consideration that he/she is not an economically active person. Another fact that was revealed is that 65% of the older adults receive economic assistance that covers part of their expenses, but the great majority suffer from some illness, which means that they must constantly buy medicine, and 35% of the adults stated that they do not receive any type of assistance. The government entity that helps the elderly in El Guabo is the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion with 56%, while only 10% receive help from the municipality. Of the total number of older adults, only 57% receive the human development voucher.