Informal care provided by family has been the cornerstone for older persons in Hong Kong. Changes in the structure of Hong Kong family alter this supportive function, and changes in traditional filial piety values affect the nature of the care and support provided. This proposition was investigated by a quantitative study involving structural survey interviews of 390 older persons in Hong Kong. The findings show that there are discrepancies between expected and actual caring functions. Living arrangements and geographical proximity affect the needs for and provision of informal support. Financial support has compensated for inadequate personal care by adult children. There is evidence to show that informal support for the older persons is changing. Traditional Confucian filial piety is undergoing modification, perhaps erosion, implying ongoing changes in intergenerational relations in this modernized Asian society.
A network of informal care and support provided by family, friends and neighbors often forms the basis for elderly care. Changes in the structure of Chinese family alter this supportive function, and changes in traditional values affect the nature of the network and support provided. This is especially so in modernized Hong Kong where the traditional role of the family and especially children's duty of care for their aged parents ("filial piety") may be weakening. This proposition was investigated by a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 50 older persons in a modern new town (Tuen Mun) in Hong Kong. Living arrangements, geographical proximity and the quality of relationships between potential caregivers and the elderly affected needs for and provision of informal support. Traditional Confucian filial piety is undergoing modification, perhaps erosion, implying ongoing changes in intergenerational relations in this modernized Asian society.
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