Introduction
In a global perspective there has been an upward trend in the ageing rates. Enjoying population has risen in some states than the working population. This has caused over dependency among the few who are employed. A bigger percentage of income is spent on consumption purposes leading to a decline in the amount saved for investment. Cultures of people have hence spelt out how the aged should be cared for but has faced a lot of challenges due dissenting argument made by the scholars. The paper will concentrate on the revealing some of the ways undertaken to care and treat the elders.
Discussion
According to Hong and Martin about the society view and treatment with respect to the Chinese culture, they advocate for the urgent need to change the current view and the treatment accorded to the elderly. In china, it is the responsibility of the adult children to ensure proper care in term of ensuring the wellbeing of the ageing population. It is a mandatory duty of the adult children to ensure that financial need and social treatment required by the elders are met. With the increased ageing rates in china of up to 81.6 percent, these scholars suggest that it would go out of hands if it is left u unchecked as the adult children alone would not be able to meet the requirement of the old. It is should hence be realized that every stakeholder should be involved towards helping the aged (Li & Tracy, 1999).
The research further reveals that, with the rapid ageing on contrary, this has subsequently been followed by a decrease in the stock of the caregivers and this worsens the situation. This has been influenced by the aggressive government strict policies on family planning. The aged are thus left without the enough givers as this is also influenced by the migration to the urban of the young population who could have otherwise rendered such services (Eyetsemitan, 1997).
According the initial researches that have been conducted, the most focus has been directed to the availability and the kinds of the financial support that is to be accorded to the elderly. In a nutshell, there is information asymmetry on the component of such a financial support as well as health care perceived to accord to the elderly. In china family support is a fundamental and binding in the context of the model. Parents are seeking to support their children within an aim that once aged, it would be their children to reciprocate and take good care of them. This is a binding agreement and even stipulated in their marriage laws. The passage of the Chinese law on people’s protection particularly the elderly has since been seen to be in line with the need for children to help their parents. This law advocates for the interests of the elderly (Li & Tracy, 1999).
The law indicates that aged people are entitled to better housing as well as medical fees and this is the role of the adult children. It is the obligation of the younger children in the rural areas to help the aged in farms and taking care of the animals. In addition, young children also harvest and give the farm produce to the elderly. The rural elderly dwellers don’t benefit from a pension scheme enjoyed by their fellow counterparts who are urban dwellers. This is because they work for marginal remunerations (Eyetsemitan, 1997).
In addition to the family members support, there is also another support extended to the rural elderly who do not have children, sources of income or close dependable relatives. Adult children assist the elderly emotionally, financially, healthcare charges as well as personal care. Those that do to have children get the support from the public programs referred to as Five Guarantees that is funded via the local villages.
There is also the rural health care service for the elderly in china which is aimed at establishment of a preventive medical network commonly known as the three-tier system. Before the reforms in the health care sector, there was a rural collective fund used to support the village clinics. Despite the reforms in the health care problems, meeting hospital bill still remain a challenge to the elderly rural dwellers (Li & Tracy, 1999).
According to Shaibu & Wallhagen (2002) western culture is seen to emphasize individualism and self-reliance. Shaibu & Wallhagen (2002) stresses that, family is very vital, and priority will revolved around it. The elders are highly respected following their toiling to raise up their children. They are also seen to have been fully endowed with wisdom and are thus respected. The wellbeing of the elderly is very significance and hence American, in many occasions has developed a tendency to hire some other people to look for the welfare of the elderly by providing them with items such as food, shelters and clothing. The Americans have put up policies to ensure that the wellbeing of the elder is prioritized. This is seen on the establishment of elderly care nursing institutions where the elderly enjoy a 24 hour protection and care services ranging from such activities as medication, feeding programs (Eyetsemitan, 1997).
This is in total acceptance way of treating the elderly in western states. Despite the reformation of the healthcare facilities in America, dissenting arguments are emerging to oppose such improvements stating that, it would be immoral and unacceptable among other cultures in the world and more among those that still hold to their traditions. The elders from these tribal countries are respected as they are thought to be sacred. They are viewed as the linkage between the ancestors and the living (Eyetsemitan, 1997).
Among the cultures who oppose this form of elderly treatment would say that placing one’s parent in such situation would be unethical. Shaibu & Wallhagen (2002) argument operates on filial piety which is formed on the basis filial piety and the Confucianism. This belief attaches the importance of being helpful, respectful and obedient to the elderly and parents. Such views suggest that it would be disrespectful to the elderly being handed over to the caregivers.
Shaibu & Wallhagen (2002) believe that due to ever changing patterns and cultural practices of the people, western power influence the need to place parents under the caretakers. As there is a continuous trend by the younger generation to prolong education, some of the previously held traditions have become inapplicable. Shaibu & Wallhagen (2002) state that, the government has developed and implemented care plans as well as community assistance to help the family members in caring for the elderly.
Conclusion
Various methods are being applied in caring of the elderly. Traditionally held strategies are being weaker and are losing ground because the youth who were previously seen as important entities in helping the rural elders are migrating into urban areas in such of employment and better salary packages. The steady rise in the rates of ageing in China has since made it very difficult for the family members to care for their ageing population. There is an urgent call for every stakeholder to come up and support the elderly as they are very vital in our lives.
Annotated Bibliography
Eyetsemitan, F. (1997). Age, respect and Modernization in Africa: Toward a Psychosociological Understanding. Western Journal of Black Studies, 21(2), 142-145
Li, H., & Tracy, M. (1999). Family support, financial needs, and health care needs of rural elderly in China: A field study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 14, 357-371.
The purpose of this study was to establish the financial needs, family support and heath care needs of rural people in China. The study employed a hundred elderly people in a rural county. The findings of the study showed that the immediate family members assisted those elderly members with a livelihood. The study also showed that adult children offered financial assistance to the elderly people in their families. Nonetheless, most the elderly people surveyed intimated that they did not get enough financial support. According to the author, this situation was compounded by the lack of government support; many of the elderly population did not get proper health care. The findings of this study are important to this topic because they speak of the general lack of support for the ageing population.
Shaibu, S., & Wallhagen, M. (2002). Family care giving of the elderly in Botswana: Boundaries of culturally acceptable options and resources. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology,17, 39–154.
