Ageing and Elderly Care in the Arab Region: Policy Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Populations are expected to age rapidly in the Arab countries during the coming few decades. However, the current evidence base indicates that many countries in the region are not paying attention to this demographic phenomenon. This is a particular concern as longevity is often accompanied by many years of ill health and disability and most of the countries in the region continue to rely on the family as the primary source of elder care. While the family, and particularly women, are expected to provide increasing support for longer, they are faced by a set of socio-demographic changes that may hinder their ability to provide such care. This paper focuses on the ageing demographics in the Arab region and reflects on the multiple-roles for women by utilising quantitative analysis of international population and socio-economic indicators as well as reviewing the background literature and current ageing policies in the region. The paper then discusses possible strategies to address increasing long-term care needs through a social capital lens, where support to informal carers particularly women is emphasised.

Ageing in the Middle East and North Africa: A Contemporary Perspective

“…Providing quality health and social care comes at a cost. As found in this paper and other research by Hussein and Ismail (2016), there is a clear demand by states in the MENA area to create new policy initiatives to support the elderly. This can be tackled by redefining health and social care services by moving towards a community-based care approach.…”

“…This can be tackled by redefining health and social care services by moving towards a community-based care approach. A community-based care approach is perceived by scholars and social policy makers (Abdelmoneium and Alharahsheh, 2016;Hussein and Ismail, 2016) as the best type of approach, as this concept enables health and social care programmes to be applied at a local level. More crucially, this local approach allows different social groups and institutions to work closely together.…”

“…As Sibai, et al(2014, p. 36) Across the MENA region there are a number of support groups and associations that support the elderly with particular health concerns. However, a recent article by Hussein and Ismail (2016) noted that in the Arab states there is more work required on policy initiatives to set up a sustainable and official long-term care provision to support people who provide for elderly and disabled family members. Moreover, Hussein and Ismail (2016, p. 11) called for more emphasis on joined up thinking with governments in the with region and policy makers:…”

“…To tackle this problem head on Hussein and Ismail (2016) believe that there should be greater investment in the programmes that would support and facilitate health care provision. This can be achieved by a stronger relationship between civil society organisations and the state, thus allowing institutions to develop new health programmes in the geographical region.…”

Ageing and health in the Arab region: Challenges, opportunities and the way forward

“…The transition to small nuclear families, waves of youth emigration and increased involvement of females in the labour market have created a relative shortage of family members available for the provision of care and have widened the gap between demand for and supply of care at the household level (Khan et al, 2017). Hussein and Ismail (2017) provide some indication of the position of different countries in relation to three inter-related factors: proportion of older persons, female labour participation rates and gender inequality index, noting various scenarios of the relationship between ageing and competing demands on women. Whilst caregivers sometimes express positive perceptions about their role, caregiving to a cohabiting incapacitated relative is a physically and mentally arduous responsibility and carries with it significant emotional strain, foregone work and social opportunities, physical health problems and financial burdens (Seoud et al, 2007;Abdelmoneium and Alharahsheh, 2016).…”