Vila Dignidade of Araraquara: a study on housing conditions and the functional capacity of the residents

• Grant number: 18/21252-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal researcher: Luzia Cristina Antoniossi Monteiro
• Grantee: Leticia Felice Olaia
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The urban space has a growing concentration of elderly people. In this context, problems are intensifying and socio-spatial inequalities reduce the scope for adequate housing. The Vila Dignidade Program consists of an alternative to supply the housing demand for the low income elderly population, providing adequate housing through the application of the parameters of the Universal Design. In this sense, the present proposal aims to analyze if the housing conditions of Vila Dignidade de Araraquara reflect on the functional capacity of the residents. It is a descriptive and exploratory study, based on the quantitative-qualitative research method. Data collection will be developed with the application of the following instruments: a semi-structured interview to identify the dwellers perception of what constitutes adequate housing, an adapted version of the Brazilian Oars Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (BOMFAQ) to verify the housing aspects that impact on the functional capacity of the elderly. The verification of the accessibility of the dwellings will also be carried out through participant observation, photographic records and field diary completion using the parameters of the Universal Design. The data will be analyzed by simple descriptive statistics and content analysis. It is believed that the dwellings contemplate the functional capacity of its residents, favor the objective of the Vila Dignidade program in guaranteeing the independence and autonomy of its residents, maintaining their social participation and distancing them from the isolation. It is expected to contribute to the identification of aspects related to the living conditions that reflect the functional capacity of the elderly person, and also subsidizing public housing policies aimed at the elderly population, so that they are efficient and in compliance with the current legislation.