Violence and right to care in public policies on long-term care institutions for the elderly

The objective of this research was to study the inclusion of the topic of violence in Brazilian policies and those of the state of Rio de Janeiro that address long-term care institutions for the elderly. A documentation analysis of public policies aimed at the elderly or related to violence was conducted starting from the 1988 Constitution. Nine national policies and two policies of the state of Rio de Janeiro were identified, and this collection was submitted to content analysis. It was observed that the policies conceive long-term care institutions for the elderly in different ways (aimed at elderly without family bonds or with weak family bonds) and do not mention alternatives to long-term care. The topic of violence is addressed in an incipient and pulverized way, and is referred to as neglect, mistreatment, and institutional and structural violence.