Report of community inclusion efforts for the elderly in São Paulo, Brazil

Public Health in the City of São Paulo/Brazil is organized in levels of care, providing access to services through Basic Health Units – UBS, which have a defined catchment area.
In 1994, a UBS with 51% of its population aged above 50 years had intense service demand by the elderly with unspecific health symptoms. Interviews identified that most of them were widows with private health plans who lived alone and were looking for a social life in these places.
To receive these people, a multidisciplinary team was built to organize periodical meetings with the assiduous attendance of 40 ladies who decided to exclude men so they felt more at ease. Meetings were weekly and promoted activities aimed at social integration and quality of life improvements.
Friendship bonds extended beyond the limits UBS’s. These ladies sought care less often due to unspecific complaints, felt empowered, and started to reconsider their role in family and society, becoming more independent while looking after their health.
The group has been active for 14 years. Right now the group has 38 ladies, with ages ranging from 56 to 91 years; seven of them have been in the group since its implementation; 84% of them have a private health plan; and 97% of them report improvements in the quality of life and health after joining the group.
In this manner we fund that low complexity work, with a multidisciplinary approach, in contrast with the medical centralist model, may promote improvements in health and quality of life of the elderly, thus strengthening the key role of the UBS, that is, health promotion.