La Intervención Tanatológica desde el Enfoque del Trabajo Social

Abstract

Aging-related grief is a continuous process involving physical, functional, role-related, and symbolic losses that generates profound and multifaceted suffering in older adults, affecting their biopsychosocial and spiritual well-being. In Ecuador, and particularly in rural areas, this experience has remained invisible and without a specific approach from Social Work, which has traditionally prioritized palliative or assistance-based interventions without incorporating the thanatological perspective. The novelty of the research consisted in contributing to the strengthening of the professional praxis of the social worker, based on a thanatological, ethical, and humanized gaze. It is framed within the research line of Social Exclusion and Integration, under the sub-line of vulnerable groups. The general objective was to analyze the role of social workers in thanatological intervention during the accompaniment of aging-related grief in older adults from the rural parish “Huachi Grande,” Ambato canton. A qualitative approach with a descriptive and exploratory scope was used, employing the analytic-synthetic and inductive methods. The main instruments were a semi-structured interview applied to 15 social workers with experience in the area and the life-story technique administered to 15 older adults aged 65 years or older. The most relevant findings show that social workers play a leading role in emotional containment, the strengthening of support networks, and the promotion of autonomy, using systemic, humanistic, and person-centered methods, as well as techniques such as active listening, home visits, and comprehensive social diagnosis. However, they face significant barriers such as persistent loneliness, scarce family support, initial resistance from the older adult, and institutional limitations. It is concluded that the social worker is vital in transforming aging-related grief into an adaptive and dignified process through a holistic intervention that encompasses the biocorporal, cognitive-rational, socio-affective, and spiritual dimensions of the older person. It is imperative to strengthen specialized training in thanatology and to design institutional protocols that guarantee continuous, sensitive, and effective accompaniment.