Impacto biopsicosocial del abandono familiar en adultos mayores de un centro gerontológico de Tulcán

Family abandonment of institutionalised older adults affects their emotional and physical health. The study therefore aimed to analyse family abandonment and its impact on the biopsychosocial status of older adults at the Sara Espíndola Gerontological Centre in the city of Tulcán. A quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was used with 35 older adults who completed a structured questionnaire. Only 20% always received family visits, 40% rarely or never had telephone contact, 74% had experienced sadness, loneliness or abandonment, 65% frequently had difficulty sleeping or lacked motivation, and 66% felt their life lacked purpose. It was concluded that abandonment impairs emotional well-being and is accompanied by difficulty sleeping and lack of motivation.