Aging & Cultural Awareness

aging in different communities

Aging in Africa
Older people play a vital role in African society today. Across the continent, millions of families would not survive without the contribution of older people – from caring for orphaned grandchildren and infected own children to providing much needed household income. The African traditional forms of caring for older people are breaking down. In Southern Africa it is estimated that 50 per cent of double orphans are cared for by older people. Yet older people are often excluded from development programmes and discriminated against by services such as health care.

Despite this indispensable contribution, many older people in Africa continue to experience deepening poverty, discrimination, violence and abuse, and are unable to access entitlements that are theirs by right. Many older people live in rural areas, where there are fewer services. They experience economic exclusion, and are often denied employment and access to insurance or credit schemes. They also encounter social exclusion due to age discrimination and changing roles and practices within the family. Literacy rates among older people – especially older women – remain low, and are often lower than for the population as a whole.

Read more on Global Ageing.eu

Aging in Asia
“Of all virtues, filial piety is first.” As this ancient proverb suggests, caring for one’s parents is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. Even the current Chinese Constitution states in Article 49 that “children who have come of age have the duty to support and assist their parents.”

“More children, more happiness” is another traditional Chinese saying, but economic development and the one-child policy have resulted in a graying of the Chinese population much like the demographic changes seen in Japan. In 2015, the number of Chinese people aged 60 and over was almost 230 million—1.7 times as many people as Japan’s entire population. Traditional views of happiness and family have changed significantly as a result, and legal action against grown children accused of neglecting their parents is becoming more common.

In July 2013, the Chinese Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly was amended to require “children living apart from their elderly parents” to “regularly return to the family home and visit them.” The aim was to urge children to support their parents both materially and emotionally.

Read more on the Japanese publication, Nippon.

Aging in Hispanic Communities
Hispanic culture is well known for its focus on family values, especially care for the elderly and young. Hispanic family culture typically perceives caregiving for elderly relatives as a duty and would be ashamed to be unable to care for them. Hispanic family culture traditionally cultivates a culture of respect for one’s elders. This culture dictates that it is the duty of Hispanic families to care for family members who can no longer care for themselves.

Hispanic faith communities, typically Catholic although increasingly Evangelical Christian, traditionally provide members of the community with additional supports in times of need. Some Hispanics rely on faith communities and family assistance, while regarding institutional caregiving with suspicion.

Many Hispanics work physically demanding jobs like dishwashing, gardening, farm labor, factory food processing and other forms of manual work that is tough on their backs, joints, hands, eyes, and nerves. As workers grow older, work-related health problems become chronic conditions.

Jobs that cause so many health problems very rarely offer health care, making it difficult to receive care outside of the Emergency Room. In cases where the elder relative is undocumented, they do not qualify for programs like Medicare and Social Security, social safety net programs that alleviate much of the financial strain and afford important health care benefits.

It’s tough to learn a new language, especially one as complex as English. Undocumented Hispanics find it difficult to enroll in language courses due to citizenship requirements for many schools. Without English skills, it may also be difficult to access other social services like medical and health clinics.

Read more on Kapok Multicultural Caregiving.

Aging Amoung Indigenous/ Native Americans
Native American Indian elderly come from at least 569 federally recognized tribes. Each tribe has its own unique culture, language, beliefs and customs. Despite these differences, there is
general agreement that Native Indian elders are honored and respected by their families and communities, and they are considered to be the keepers of their tribes’ language and heritage.
The social and health risk profile of older Native Indians predisposes their susceptibility to needing long-term care. Native Indians have shorter life expectancies, poorer health, lower
socio-economic status, and greater disability than elders in other ethnic groups. They are more likely to underutilize some services, such as in-home supportive services for personal care,
respite and adult day care.

When compared to the general American elderly, Native elders age 65 and over, are more likely to have high blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes. They are also likely to have two or more of these and other chronic conditions, which can cause difficulties in living life on their own. Many of our cultures focus on providing options to elders so they may remain in the home with support from their family. For the Native Indian population, taking care of an elder is a continuation of an ancient custom of extended family and lifelong care for family, attributed to their strong cultural preferences and to their disadvantaged social structure resulting from years of centuries of discrimination. However, eligibility criteria for long-term care services are often couched in language that is not culturally sensitive.

There are many Native Indian elders today who lack the support from their family. This is usually due to having no available family members, or those family members who are available
having outside home job responsibilities, hence, a need for someone else, outside of their family, to be caretakers for Native Indian elders. American Indian elders, being valued members of their communities, prefer to remain in their own home and community settings, that is, they prefer to “age in place”. We need to be especially critical in establishing a relationship with Native American elders who have been living on reservations their entire lives, and thus have been isolated from mainstream society.

Read more on Niagara County Office for the Aging.

Aging in India
Ageing in India is exponentially increasing due to the impressive gains that society has made in terms of increased life expectancy. With the rise in elderly population, the demand for holistic care tends to grow. By 2025, the geriatric population is expected to be 840 million in the developing countries. An aging population puts an increased burden on the resources of a country and has raised concerns at many levels for the government in India. The aging population is both medical and sociological problem. The elderly population suffers high rates of morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases. The demographic transition in India shows unevenness and complexities within different states. This has been attributed to the different levels of socio-economic development, cultural norms, and political contexts. Hence it will be a herculean task for policy makers to address the geriatric care that will take into account all these determinants. Care for the elderly is fast emerging as a critical element of both the public and private concern.

With increasing longevity and debilitating chronic diseases, many elder citizens will need better access to physical infrastructure in the coming years. Lack of physical infrastructure is a major deterrent to providing comfort to the aged.

The traditional Indian society with an age-old joint family system has been instrumental in safeguarding the social and economic security of the elderly people. The traditional norms and values of Indian society also laid stress on showing respect and providing care for the elderly. However with the emerging prevalence of nuclear family set-ups in recent years, the elderly are likely to be exposed to emotional, physical and financial insecurity in the years to come.

The elderly in India are much more vulnerable because of the less government spending on social security system. The elderly in urban area rely primarily on hired domestic help to meet their basic needs in an increasingly-chaotic and crowded city. Social isolation and loneliness has increased. Insurance cover that is elderly sensitive is virtually non- existent in India.

Due to the ever increasing trend of nuclear families, elder care management is getting more difficult, especially for working adult children who find themselves responsible for their parents’ well-being.

It is important to understand the social aspects concerning aged in the country as they go through the process of ageing. Increased life expectancy, rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes have led to an emergence of varied problems for the elderly in India. It must be remembered that comprehensive care to the elderly is possible only with the involvement and collaboration of family, community and the Government. India should prepare to meet the growing challenge of caring for its elderly population.

Read more on OMICS International.

Programs on Aging in different countries

Resources for health care providers on cultural competency

Policy & Advocacy

Elderly Law and Legal Resources

Resources for American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Americans

Resources for Indian and South Asian Seniors

Resources for Muslim Aged Care