Population aging and care for the elderly: some sociodemographic considerations in the Cuban context

Abstract

Introduction: Cuba is experiencing an accelerated process of population aging, impacting social security, the healthcare system, and the social organization of care as an important issue in policy. As it is increasingly positioned in the academic context, the decisive role of the State in establishing dialogues between decision-makers and beneficiaries of public policies is recognized.

Objective: to analyze some characteristics of population aging and its relationship with the challenges of care for the elderly, with an emphasis on the State's role.

Method: articles from the Google Scholar and SciELO databases were reviewed. References were systematized through a critical analysis of the authors consulted on aging and care, mostly published in the last five years, and individual assessments were made on the topic.

Results: population aging in Cuba presents distinctive characteristics. Care for older adults represents a considerable challenge in a context of low birth/fertility rates, rising mortality, and negative migration, where the increase in dependent older adults is very noticeable. Joint responsibility between the State, family, market, and community is required to respond to the growing demand for care.

Conclusions: population aging is linked to care for the elderly and represents challenges for the implementation of the Sistema Nacional para el Cuidado Integral de la Vida. The goal is to overcome the welfare-based approach, fragmentation, familiarization, and feminization of care.