Violência contra mulheres idosas em Manaus: do silêncio ao enfrentamento.

Violence against the elderly is a serious global problem, and its manifestations have profound impacts on the health and quality of life of these people. As a socio-historical problem, violence is part of the history of mankind and has increasingly manifested itself against women, including the elderly. The aim of this article is to analyze the social experiences of elderly women who have suffered violence and sought the State's safety net, as well as the perspective of professionals who work in social services that deal with violence against the elderly in Manaus - AM, Brazil. The results point to an understanding of violence associated predominantly with physical violence, followed by verbal and moral violence, all experienced within the scope of interpersonal relationships. Results also point to the need to disseminate legal protection instruments and to better train professionals to deal with the specificities of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]