The Elderly and Their Experience in Brazil

Abstract

What is the experience of the elderly in Brazil like? This question merits discussion. Concerns with regard to protecting and caring for the elderly have changed in recent decades. The elderly population currently represents around 13% of the total, and the tendency is that this figure will rise over the next few decades. Since the Brazilian Constitution of 1998, a body of legal instruments has been established for protecting the rights of the elderly. This paper tries to analyze this experience of the elderly in relation to public policies. The public policies that have been introduced over the last three decades have contributed towards the elderly becoming more independent. The work is also based on data and studies that have been developed about the elderly and ageing. It was found that the elderly have become more independent, despite the obstacles.