Whose responsibility? Elder support norms regarding the provision and financing of assistance with daily activities across economically developed countries

Abstract

We use 2012 data on economically developed countries from the International Social Survey Program to examine variation in "cultural norms" (at the world region and country levels) and "attitudes" (at the individual level) regarding the appropriate roles of family members and formal providers in both the provision and financing of assistance with daily activities at home. Our analysis has two parts: (1) a descriptive analysis of differences in cultural norms by world region and country (N = 25 countries) and (2) a multilevel multinomial logistic regression analysis of the importance of country-level factors in explaining individuals' elder support attitudes (N = 21 countries). In the descriptive analysis, we find substantial variation in cultural norms both between world regions and between countries within all world regions except for the Nordic countries. The multilevel regression analysis points to the importance of two sets of country-level factors-"macrostructural factors" and "cultural-contextual factors"-in explaining individuals' elder support attitudes. With regard to macrostructural factors, we find, consistent with our hypotheses, greater support for "publicly financed formal assistance" (i.e., the financing of formal assistance is supported by public funds) in countries with higher spending on services. The effects of the cultural-contextual factors are mostly consistent with our hypotheses and suggest the importance of taking into account the wider religious and political context in explaining individuals' elder support attitudes. We conclude with a discussion of the social scientific and social policy implications of our findings.

Attitudes and preferences towards future old-age support amongst tomorrow’s elders in China

“…Critics highlight that the predicted decline of family support for older family members has not come about; even in advanced welfare states, the family is still the main source of support for most older adults (Djundeva, Dykstra, and Emery 2019), although formal providers play an important role either in supplementing the efforts of family helpers or in supporting disabled older people without available informal support resources. Moreover, it is recognised that substantial variation exists in cultural norms regarding the appropriate role of the family and the state in elder care provision (Janus and Koslowski 2019).…”

Will Downward Intergenerational Housing Support Increase Parents’ Expectations for Old-Age Care from Adult Children? Evidence from China

“…For example, lower socioeconomic status and fewer care resources, more children, having a child living nearby, and having a child who does not work are positively related to parents’ prediction of future care from adult children (Godwin, 2004; Sereny, 2011). Macro-structural factors such as social policy context and labor market composition also play important roles in shaping people’s old age care expectations (Janus & Koslowski, 2020). For example, older people in societies with better public support are more likely to expect formal care as an alternative to family support.…”

Progressing Towards a Freer Market in Australian Residential Aged Care

“…For the purposes of this article, 'marketisation' refers to a reduction in government funding and an accompanying shift towards self-regulation. Whether and to what extent individuals should contribute to the costs of their own aged care and/or to support the RAC sector is complex (see, for example, Janus and Koslowski, 2019) and is beyond the scope of this article.…”