The Utilization of Home Care by the Elderly in Brazil's Primary Health Care System

The aging of the population represents a challenge to governments around the world, which are faced with the task of designing and implementing national strategies for elderly care, including improving primary health care through home health care systems and social networks. The growth of disabled elderly populations is likely to increase future demand for home health care globally. Statements by the Ministry of Health and by other government officials have indicated that the policy of the primary health services, as explained in the Brazilian National Policy for the Elderly, is to improve health care service delivery by keeping elderly citizens in their communities, close to their family environments