¿Hacia una política integral de cuidados? Una mirada sobre los programas para personas mayores en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Abstract

Demographic aging is a phenomenon that has been growing in Argentina since 1970. Currently Argentina is one of the countries in Latin America with greater percentages of people aged 60 years and more. The City of Buenos Aires is the oldest jurisdiction in the country. At a local level, it is facing various programs aimed at the social support of the elderly.

Although longevity is a social problem, it does not occupy a preponderant place in the public and political agenda. The care required by the elderly is usually seen as a private and family issue, especially borne by women.

The objective of this article is to analyze some programs that put the emphasis on care that could be included in long-term care policies for people aged 60 and over within the scope of the Ministry of Social Integration for the Elderly, dependent on the Ministry of Human Development and Habitat of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, taking into account their actions and omissions through the discourse of those responsible.

The methodology was based on the survey of secondary sources (Statistics of the City of Buenos Aires, Indec data, review of web sites and specialized bibliography). Primary sources were used to carry out in-depth interviews to three officials of the Secretariat of Social Integration for the Elderly of the GCBA in order to inquire about the operating modalities and their competences, as well as the facilitating and impeding aspects of their functions. The field work was carried out at the end of 2016 and 2017.

Results show that these programs fail to be considered under the logic of care, emphasizing the above aspects inherent to social support and integration. There are also certain barriers to access for older people who are not self-validating and actions that are not coordinated at the inter-institutional level, which hinder an effective care policy.