Healthy Ageing

Project timeframe
Ongoing
Research area
Responsible Design
Amount awarded
£11,967
Funder ID
Royal Society

Project leader: Emilene Zitkus

Among the elderly living alone in Sao Paulo, a third is struggling somehow.

During the period of 2015 to 2017 from the 290,966 elderly people who live alone in Sao Paulo, 26.7% were living with difficulties to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) which includes prepare a meal, personal care, handling medications, and many others. 36.9% have difficulty accessing the services they need, whether healthcare, social care or community care; over 31% live with the minimum wage or less; and, 32,8% are illiterate or semiliterate.

The inability to complete essential activities of daily living; failure in accessing care services; financial struggles and other factors have led to unsafe conditions and poor quality of life. By using mixed methods that combine the longitudinal quantitative data related to older adults in the city of São Paulo (SABE - Study of Health, Wellbeing and Ageing) with qualitative data - from contextual interviews, focus groups and co-creation workshops, this project aims to map the needs of the older adult living alone in different contexts in the city of Sao Paulo and relate them to loss of capabilities and missing skills affecting wellbeing and health. The project will contribute to the co-design of new services and guidance to be used for public policy.