Social support among elderly women in a low income area in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro

Objective: To identify the perceived availability and provision of informal and formal social support among elderly women in a low income area of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Methods: This is descriptive and cross-sectional study; done by using household survey with 369 (83.5%) elderly in the community. Results: Elderly women had an adverse social condition (49.3% were illiterate, 71.3% had no partner, 62.3% reported a monthly income of up to minimum wage and 22.0% had no income.) The most common informal types of support were: money personal care and companionship for locomotion. However, they relied on the care of grandchildren, housing and money Only 20% reported receiving support from the state or institutions, most of them as basic food. The three main sources of formal supports were: the municipal government, the church and, the state government. Conclusion: The trade of relations had more weight on the side of the older, because the when the elderly cares for their grandchildren, the parents could work and thus increase the household income.