Family support for older people in an era of demographic change and policy constraints

Wolf, Douglas A.; Ballal, Sonali

doi:10.1017/s0144686x06005289

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…Even if social systems in Europe are slowly converging, cultural and historical differences still have a significant impact on current welfare and family regimes (e.g., Daatland 2001;Daatland and Herlofson 2003a;Reher 1998;Wolf and Ballal 2006). How these differences affect individuals, families and transfers between generations is a very important question, especially in times of population ageing.…”

Section: Specialization Between Family and Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Intergenerational Help and Public Assistance in Europe - A Case of Specialization?

Brandt

2011

SSRN Journal

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Population ageing already is one of the foremost challenges for European societies today, and it will affect more and more countries in future. The balance between old and young is rapidly changing in all industrialized societies and ever less young people will have to care for ever more frail elderly, even if the rising number of healthy life years is taken into consideration (Lafortune et al. 2007). Although until now empirical studies have not accounted for a resulting decline of intergenerational solidarity in Western societies (e.g., Arber and AttiasDonfut 2000;Bengtson 2001;Hank 2007;Silverstein et al. 1998), there is growing concern about the future (see e.g., Walker 1999). In recent times of economic crisis and welfare state retrenchment, the family might become ever more important as a personal 'safety net' while the private resources to support relatives financially and practically are declining. Different social systems have taken different paths to adjust to expected future developments (see e.g., Anttonen and Sipilä 1996;Saraceno and Keck 2010). It is still unclear, however, how they will cope with upcoming challenges. It is thus vitally important to assess how exactly private and public support interact to maintain and mobilize societal resources efficiently. Particularly the analysis of interrelations between state, market, culture, and support between generations might thus provide clues to a successful 'intergenerational policy' in times of progressive population ageing.In order to assess transfers between generations in different societies one has to account for the whole spectrum of transfers between parents and children. Most of the extensive sociological literature on intergenerational transfers deals with assistance to the elderly (Spitze and Logan 1992) and focuses on support with activities of daily living (ADL).Personal care is a very important and often intense form of support with great impact on giver and receiver. From a societal point of view however, it occurs rather seldom and only in cases, where a frail person needs extensive support. Practical help with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) on the contrary is an everyday task that is given, received and 3 exchanged in and between all age and social groups, and has an immense productive function for society. From a theoretical point of view, help with IADL is a very flexible indicator for intergenerational support because it may range from one time support for children moving house to the daily preparation of meals for the older parent. Where 'care' in almost every case also includes 'help' tasks, 'help' does not necessarily include 'care'. Both support forms depend on different influencing factors and have to be understood as different functional dimensions of intergenerational solidarity needing to be analyzed separately Walker et al. 1995).The following analysis, based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) 2004, will therefore focus on practical help with household chores (housework, garden...

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Section: Specialization Between Family and Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Intergenerational Help and Public Assistance in Europe - A Case of Specialization?

Brandt

2011

SSRN Journal

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“…The results are from a Dutch sample but are thought relevant for other countries. The mechanisms underlying support giving to older parents and the socio-demographic and cultural changes at the basis of these mechanisms are comparable in many other western countries (Wolf and Ballal 2006). The trends towards more divorces, smaller nuclear families, increasing mobility and the ageing of the population are common throughout Europe (Hagestad 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The implications of today's family structures for support giving to older parents

2008

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There is considerable debate about the effects of today's family structures on support arrangements for older people. Using representative data from The Netherlands, the study reported in this paper investigates which sociodemographic characteristics of adult children and their elderly parents, and which motivations of the adult children, correlate with children giving practical and social support to their parents. The findings indicate that the strongest sociodemographic correlates of a higher likelihood of giving support were : having few siblings, having a widowed parent without a new partner and, for practical support, a short geographical distance between the parent's and child's homes. Single mothers were more likely to receive support than mothers with partners, irrespective of whether their situation followed divorce or widowhood. Widowed fathers also received more support, but only with housework. A good parent-child relationship was the most important motivator for giving support, whereas subscribing to filial obligation norms was a much weaker motivator, especially for social support. Insofar as demographic and cultural changes in family structures predict a lower likelihood of support from children to elderly parents, this applies to practical support, and derives mainly from increased geographical separation distances and from the growing trend for parents to take new partners. Social support is unlikely to be affected by these changes if parents and children maintain good relationships.

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“…While contributions by social gerontologists to health services, planning and regulation research are plenty (Bane and Bull 2001; Heenan 2006; Katz and Karuza 1992; Madachy 2003; Parker et al. 2004; Thompson and Wilson 2001; Torrez 1998; Wagar and Walker 1997; Wenger 2001; Wolf and Ballal 2006), the major development here is the established interest in the public policy implications of population ageing (see Rudzitis 1984). It is here that geographical gerontology is seen to have great potential (Andrews et al.…”

Section: Intersection In Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Attention has been given to examining the political and institutional frameworks (or structures) within which services are provided, particularly as they relate to understanding formal and informal care (Andrews et al 2003;Angus et al 2005;Milligan 2006;Wiles 2003) and, especially, the rural implications of changes in service planning and regulation (Cloutier-Fisher and Joseph 2000;Fortney et al 2003;Hanlon and Halseth 2005;Joseph and Chalmers 1996;Skinner and Joseph 2007;. While contributions by social gerontologists to health services, planning and regulation research are plenty (Bane and Bull 2001;Heenan 2006;Katz and Karuza 1992;Madachy 2003;Parker et al 2004; Thompson and Wilson 2001;Torrez 1998;Wagar and Walker 1997;Wenger 2001;Wolf and Ballal 2006), the major development here is the established interest in the public policy implications of population ageing (see Rudzitis 1984). It is here that geographical gerontology is seen to have great potential (Andrews et al 2007); however, as key commentaries note (see Rosenberg 2003, andalso Harper andLaws 1995;Warnes 1990), researchers are yet to match their innovative research on ageing to the full breadth of challenges facing older populations.…”

Section: Space and The Macro-scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Geographical Gerontology: Mapping a Disciplinary Intersection

et al. 2009

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The intersection between geography and gerontology arises structurally in institutions and intellectually both in academic debates surrounding disciplinary territoriality and substantive fields of empirical inquiry (population ageing and movement; services and policy; living environments; emplacement; emotions, images and the body). Although recent years have witnessed an increasing theoretical convergence between geography and gerontology – resulting in ever fertile ground for research – a range of contemporary social processes have yet to receive substantive attention. Arising as consumer niches and economic networks, these involve connectivity across geographical scales from the local to the global. Although they provide opportunities and enrich lives, they also contribute to the continued disadvantage of older people in the developing world. We argue that addressing these in research is not only morally justifiable, it potentially generates a distinct body of theoretical knowledge that might inform ongoing empirical work.

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Family support for older people in an era of demographic change and policy constraints

Cited by 15 publications

References 17 publications

Intergenerational Help and Public Assistance in Europe - A Case of Specialization?

Intergenerational Help and Public Assistance in Europe - A Case of Specialization?

The implications of today's family structures for support giving to older parents

Geographical Gerontology: Mapping a Disciplinary Intersection

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