In the face of demographic aging, shelter institutions have an outstanding role as an alternative of social support in the attention for the health of the elderly. This study was aimed at describing the health condition of the elderly within the wide picture of old folks homes and identifying how the elderly perceive their own health. It is a qualitative study for which data was collected through participative observation and half-structured interviews with 17 elderly living in an old folks home in Rio de Janeiro. The results showed that the elderly see their health as satisfactory because there is no pain, no physical discomfort and they have a feeling of security provided by the fact that they live in the institution. On the other hand, concerns related to aches and suffering deriving from natural losses, distance from the family and feelings of solitude and abandonment were conditions associated to the occurrence of diseases. It was concluded that the social fact of living in an old folks home is characterized mainly as an abandonment, which has a direct impact on the health conditions of this population.
Health of institutionalized elderly; Health promotion; Homes for the aged