The economic survival of long stay institutions for impoverished aged people.
OBJECTIVE
Identify structural couplings of Retirement Institutions for the Aged (RIA) with the economic system, in order to maintain those institutions that shelter the poor aged in the Brazilian context.


METHODS
Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study. The data collection was carried out through interviews with seven leading people and eight aged people, analysis of communication of 52 non-profit Brazilian RIAs, both public and private. The content analysis was performed based on the Niklas Luhmann's Systems Theory.


RESULTS
It was verified that in face of the aged scarce resources, a considerable share of the maintenance costs are supported by the institutions themselves, whose search for resources is done by leaders, team, the aged and communities.


CONCLUSIONS
The excessive involvement of these institutions in the elaboration of programs for searching funds can harm the performance of their essential function which is to care for the poor aged.
Creutzberg
Marion
M
College of Nursing, Nutrtion and Physiotherapy, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. marionc@pucrs.br
Gonçalves
Lúcia Hisako Takase
LH
Sobottka
Emil Albert
EA
D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit / Q000191:economics*; D011203:Poverty; D017149:Private Sector / Q000191:economics; D017150:Public Sector / Q000191:economics; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012179:Retirement / Q000191:economics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*