Objective: To identify through literature, the consequences of the lack of family support to the institutionalized elderly. Method: Integrative literature review through databases: SCIELO, LILACS, BDENF, MEDLINE, Scielo. Five descriptors were defined: elderly, family relationships, frail elderly, health of the elderly and health of the institutionalized elderly, associated with the Boolean operator. Results: 5072 articles were found and selected according to the inclusion criteria, nine of them. Conclusion: It can be observed that the lack of family support for the elderly has unpleasant consequences in the lives of the elderly, making them susceptible to the appearance of negative feelings, frailty and depression.