Poverty amongst the elderly is a frequently overlooked topic in the Slovenian context, as the existing literature often addresses only the health-related aspect, while the subjective experience of poverty remains unexplored. Statistics present poverty merely as a number, whereas the actual lives of people living below the poverty threshold remain hidden. The purpose of this master's thesis was to examine how a low income and, consequently, a low socio-economic status affect the lives of older people and how they cope with it. In the theoretical part, I define poverty and social exclusion, the at-risk-of-poverty threshold in Slovenia, the pension system and the pension reform, the characteristics of old age and ageing, and poverty among older people at several levels.
In the empirical part of my research, I used a qualitative research approach and conducted nine semi-structured interviews with older people aged between 65 and 78 years, who are actively involved in Škofijska Karitas in Ljubljana and regularly receive assistance through the organisation. For the purpose of the research, I used purposive sampling, and the data were subsequently processed by means of coding.
The results of the research show that poverty among older people is not limited merely to a lack of material goods but is present in all areas of their lives. The participants in the research were forced to develop various coping strategies throughout their lives in order to survive, and what burdens them most throughout their lives are unpredictable expenses. Among the interviewed older people, financial insecurity is reflected in sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, lack of appetite, etc. Because of poverty, many are forced not to follow their doctors' instructions, which consequently poses a serious threat to their health. Low income significantly affects social relationships, as the participants prefer to avoid social situations because they are aware that they cannot participate in them in the same way as their peers. Stigma is frequently present in the lives of older people, and they cope with it through concealment, loneliness, the selective choosing of company, and the normalisation of their own life situation. Owing to the specific nature of the sample, Škofijska karitas most frequently appeared among the interviewees as the central source of assistance; when applying for help, however, they often cited administrative obstacles, the unpredictability of assistance, the lack of information among employees, and a lack of information about the things that could be available to them.
The findings of my research confirm that poverty is indeed multidimensional and indicate that older people do not need luxury, only predictability and stability in old age. The master's thesis opens up a space for social pedagogy, which can, through its fundamental concepts and values, contribute to improving the position of older people with low socio-economic status.
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