Geografia da velhice na área urbana de Barreirinha-AM: cenários e políticas públicas

Abstract

Studies on the world's age structure show that the elderly population is growing increasingly and sharply and that there are also a number of challenges to be faced in society. It should be noted that old age is experienced differently depending on the spatial configurations in which the individual finds themselves, as well as sociocultural particularities. For example, municipalities in the interior of Amazonas, such as Barreirinha, have their way of life influenced by the fluvial dynamics of the rivers, which involve different issues such as health, infrastructure, and income generation. It is understood that Barreirinha has been expanding more and more and that the number of elderly people has been increasing in these localities, especially in the municipal center, influenced by the socio-economic processes in this space. In view of this, the general objective of this study is to analyze the current scenario (2000-2022) of the elderly population of the municipal seat of Barreirinha-AM. The methodology used qualitative and quantitative data with an emphasis on aging in the urban area of Barreirinha. The qualitative part was based on semi-structured interviews with social subjects (professionals and elderly people) to analyze reality. The quantitative part involved collecting secondary data about Barreirinha, with a focus on the elderly, using official databases such as government and institutional health websites and population data accompanied by census data for the urban area. The results show that although the municipal center of Barreirinha is expanding and developing more and more, the spatial inequality present is noticeable, with elderly people facing the difficulties that space imposes on their daily lives. It was possible to see that the 24 individuals interviewed come from a background of struggle and are currently dealing with low incomes, comorbidities that arose as a result of hard work when they were young, as well as the effective absence of public policies that cover the entire elderly population. These problems are even more evident during the period when the rivers flood, showing up the lack of infrastructure and reducing the mobility of the elderly, who are subject to staying in their homes or going to shelters in more serious cases. It was noted that the peripheral neighborhoods, where the majority of elderly people live, do not have equal access to their rights and are forgotten by the public authorities. Action is needed to combat this inequality, given that the elderly population has been growing sharply in a city that is considered young. Furthermore, it is pertinent that the study of aging and old age be discussed more from the point of view of geography, to understand small towns in the midst of the changes in the demographic transition that culminate in human aging.