Constructing family integrity is a normal developmental challenge for older people, which is influenced by the family and social systems. This study examined the life trajectories of older people who lived in poverty throughout their lives and how they evolve towards family integrity or family disconnection. A semi-structured interview on family integrity was administered to 12 participants aged over 64 years old (six of each sex), three in each group were considered as living family integrity situation or disconnection. The main findings suggested that some common circumstances of poverty in people's lives namely: family conflict and/or distance, domestic violence, (e)migration, multiple severe chronic diseases, informal work, low income, may prevent family integrity and promote family disconnection/alienation. However, participants who were able to reframe negative events as positive tended to achieve family integrity.
aging; family relations; human development; poverty
