Accesibilidad en la alimentación en personas mayores

Abstract

Adequate food is a human right that contributes to a good quality of life for people and one of its basic components is accessibility. In the Nursing Care Plan, the aging process and the changes it generates are valued and may contribute to situations of vulnerability from the nutritional point of view. Accessibility to food can be affected by different factors, such as physical access, sufficient and adequate food, and economic difficulties. The objective was to know the accessibility in food of older people (65 years and over) who reside in housing complexes for retirees and pensioners. A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out. Data collection was carried out in three housing complexes for retirees and pensioners, two of them selected in the city of Montevideo and one in the city of Rivera. The sample consisted of 68 people (69 % of the residents) who reside in the complexes. The results show that 18 % of this population has difficulties in food accessibility, the causes were lack of money in 70 % and 30 % due to mobility problems. The right to food is recognized in Uruguay and to generate public policies and programs that contribute to satisfying this vital need and guaranteeing access to it, in vulnerable population groups such as the elderly.