An analysis of social services for priority groups in the 11 de noviembre parish

Abstract

The objective of this research was to analyze the availability, quality, and relevance of social services for older adults and people with disabilities in the parish of 11 de Noviembre, Latacunga, in order to identify barriers to access and propose strategies for improvement. The study was based on the recognition of a persistent problem: the ineffectiveness of social services in guaranteeing basic rights, especially in health, due to physical, geographical, administrative, and cultural obstacles.A qualitative methodology with a descriptive approach was applied, using semi-structured interviews with a non-probabilistic sample of 20 people belonging to priority groups. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding, which provided an in-depth understanding of the participants' experiences. The results showed that most users faced significant limitations in accessing services, such as poor infrastructure, misinformation, mistreatment, limited coverage, lack of citizen participation, and symbolic exclusion. The quality of care was rated, for the most part, as unsatisfactory and irrelevant to their real needs. The study provided empirical evidence of the disconnect between public policies and their effective implementation at the local level, revealing the need to redesign social services from a rights-based, accessibility, and inclusion perspective. It concluded that, in order to ensure dignified aging and comprehensive care, structural reform of the local service system is essential, based on the active participation of users and institutional commitment.