International Experiences in Public Policies for Elderly Care: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

Population aging is a global reality that has been driving the development of diverse public policies to address socially determined needs across different countries. Brazil is part of this context. The objective of this article is to analyze international experiences of policies for older adults, aiming to contribute to the debate on the Brazilian public policy agenda. This study consists of an integrative systematic review of the literature indexed in Lilacs, Medline, BVS, and SciELO, including articles published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, from 2002 to 2023, using descriptors such as “Older Adults,” “Public Policies,” and “Active Aging,” among others. Additionally, information was collected from governmental websites of five countries with a high proportion of older populations. The results include 27 selected articles and 50 documents from governmental websites related to programs providing psychosocial, financial, and home-based support, as well as educational activities and community-based initiatives for social inclusion. Active aging underpins the international public policy experiences analyzed. However, the older population tends to be treated as a homogeneous group, with little attention given to particularities, such as older adults living alone.