Sunday, November 27, 2005

The Elderly in the Philippines: Excerpts from a Study by Josefina N. Natividad and Grace T. Cruz - Yr 1996

  • The Elderly are a vulnerable group in the face of rapid Social and Economic Changes. The pool of available sources of Familial Support has been diminished due to: (1st) Fertility Decline bringing about fewer Adult Children who could be depended upon by the Elderly and (2nd) Urbanization & Migration leading to the abandonment of the Elderly;
  • The Elderly are not passive recipients of support from Children. Rather they are active participants in a web of exchanges that puts them in the significant role of being providers of support - not just to their children, but also, to their Grandchildren. More than 90% of the Elderly care for a Grandchild;
  • Living Arrangements of the Elderly and their Sources-of-Support reveal a predominant pattern of Co-Residence with their Kin - although many of the Elderly would prefer to live independently because of the strains that Dependency causes on both sides;
  • Of the Elderly living alone, Females predominate in this group - a reflection of their higher survivorship;
  • Living in a "Home-for-the-Aged" is a choice few families make for their Elderly - partly perhaps because of lack of it. The Study shows that there is more openness to the idea of "Homes-for-the-Aged" as being necessitated by ongoing Social and Demographic Changes.

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