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On the rights of the elderly in Ecuador: From constitutional dogmatic to local reality

Abstract:

The defense of rights of priority care groups takes on special relevance, particularly considering that, within this group, millions of older adults suffer violations of their rights, ranging from discrimination and social and political exclusion, to abuse in institutions, neglect in humanitarian settings, and denial and rationing of health care. In this context, this paper analyzes the state of rights of older adults as a result of family, social and institutional public-private relationships. For this, a field investigation was carried out in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province, Ecuador. Interviews were carried out with public and private officials and surveys with different actors, including older adults. The findings show that, in the case of this province, their rights are violated, mainly in social and family environments. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that the institutions in charge of ensuring their care have implemented programs or provided their services in a timely manner and with positive results, which has made it possible to guarantee their constitutional rights. It is concluded that the responsibility to guarantee their rights is social and involves all the people who are directly or indirectly related to them.