“Como se guarda o fim da existência” – o Lar dos velhinhos através dos jornais de Erechim (RS -1944/2004)

Abstract

The Jacinto Godoy Beneficent Society - Lar dos Velhinhos de Erechim, was founded in February 1944, a charitable initiative envisioned by lawyer Miguel Reinert. The organization was initially established with the purpose of providing education to children in socially vulnerable situations and sheltering the destitute. Over its eight decades of existence, its mission has evolved, moving away from an assistentialist approach to focusing exclusively on the care of the elderly. The institution expanded rapidly, relocating twice before settling permanently in its current location—a spacious, modern building at the end of Avenida Sete de Setembro. Its administration has seen several leadership changes, including presidents from the Beneficent Society Council, the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady Helper, and Lucy Meri Tagliari, who was removed due to mistreatment and financial abuse of the elderly. For the past 21 years, it has been managed by Lucenir Fátima Lise. Since its inception, local newspapers have served as a key communication tool between the institution and the community, publicizing fundraising initiatives for maintenance and expansion, as well as exposing cases of mistreatment—such as those reported in 1995 by the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology. This study aims to analyze these journalistic accounts to understand how the institution has transformed over time, considering aspects of legislation and the social perception of institutionalized old age. Additionally, the research seeks to explore how the negative image of asylums, burdened with stigmas of poverty and abandonment, has been replaced by the positive image of Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly (LTCIs), both socially and normatively. In the current historical and cultural context, with increasing life expectancy and the diminishing capacity for family caregiving, LTCIs have become one of the primary alternatives for elderly care, highlighting the importance of monitoring and researching this subject.