A PESSOA IDOSA EM SITUAÇÃO DE POBREZA NO CONTEXTO DA PANDEMIA – COVID-19

Abstract

The study addresses the rights of elderly in poverty in Brazil, with a focus on social protection, decent housing and conditions of social isolation in the context of the new Coronavirus - COVID-19 pandemic. The interest in the subject arose through observations in the internship field at the Reference Center for Social Assistance (CRAS) in Cruz das Armas and at Residencial Cidade Madura, in Mangabeira, acquired in João Pessoa. It aims to reflect on the elderly person's right of access to decent housing and the role of the State in enforcing that right. It also aims to conceptualize central categories: poverty as an expression of the “social issue”, old age and aging, decent housing and social isolation; present the legal framework of the Assistance Policy for elderly person and identify public housing policies for these people. The approach is qualitative with descriptive and documentary bibliographic research based on the dialectical historical materialism method. A review of the literature of several authors was carried out, with readings of scientific articles, books, theses, dissertations in searches of websites on internet. Decent housing, that is necessary to meet the recommendations of social isolation and health care, is complex for many poor people due to the precarious conditions in which they live, despite the guarantee of social rights in Brazilian legislation, Federal Constitution of 1988, National Policy for the Elderly and Statute of the Elderly. Social Work and the social worker become essential in making public policies feasible for the elderly at this time of pandemic.