A Comparative Study of the Elderly Living in Old Age Home and Urban Family in Bangladesh

Abstract

The growing trend of the elderly in Bangladesh is increasing rapidly. The size of the elderly was 5.42% in 1991, 6.38% in 2001 and 7.48% in 2011 of the total population of Bangladesh and it is projected to increase 10.39% in 2030 and 18.60% in 2050. Thus, the elderly issue is an important issue to consider and a big challenge for the development of the country. Again, in urban context increasing rate of the elderly is higher than the overall growth of the country. That was 14.9% in 1980, 19.8% in 1990, 23.6% in 2000 and 28.9% in 2012. It happens for two reasons; impact of declining birth and death rate and rural-urban migration. Due to capitalism, globalization and modernization, socio-economic and cultural situation are changing very rapidly, as a result nuclear family and individualism have become a common tendency of urban society nowadays. Traditional living arrangement of the elderly is changing and becoming congested the place of living with children and grandchildren. New concept of living arrangement ‘Old Age Home’ has been developed in Bangladesh few decades ago that is socio-culturally totally different from traditional living arrangement. The researcher has tried to find out differences between the elderly living in OAH and that of Urban Family in Bangladesh through this comparative study. To achieve the goal 94 respondents have been taken from two types of OAHs (47 respondents from OAH where the elderly live with pay and 47 respondents from OAH where the elderly live without pay) and 94 respondents from urban family. Two sets of questionnaire have also been developed for two categories of respondents (OAH and urban family) and they have been interviewed face to face. Questions were related with four major variables (social status, economic status, health status and psychological status of the elderly) of the study. From the findings of the socio-economic status it is found that regarding marital status, relationship between husband and wife, relationship between respondents and family members, relationship between respondents and relatives, personal need priorities, decision making ability, food intake, participation in social programmed/occasions/festivals, property, income, present profession, old age allowance and financial help from various sources, freedom fighter status, separate room for living and so on, the elderly of urban family hold better position than the elderly of OAH. But in few cases the elderly of OAH hold better position than the elderly of urban family, such as: literacy rate and higher education, systematic and well disciplined lifestyle, regular prayer, habit, library facilities and scope of newspaper reading etc. Again, from the findings of the health status it is seen that regarding physical condition, diseases and duration of diseases, walking sometimes, using clean clothes, others help in physical weakness, memory status, sleeping condition and scope of others caring, the elderly of urban family belong in better position than the elderly of OAH. But regarding the some other issues of health status, such as: easy access to the medical facilities, regular walking, safe drinking water facilities, washing clothes from self, drug taking from self and habit of smoking/betel leaf-nut/tea-coffee/others, opposite scenario has been observed. From the psychological condition it is found that respondents’ attitude to the family members, family members’ attitude to the respondents, respondents’ attitude to the relatives, social outlook to the living arrangement of the elderly, experiences of life, freedom, self-esteem, satisfaction to life, alienation, having friends, scope of sharing personal matter, scope for going out, mixing with grandchildren and present relationship with OAH authority/head of family, for all these issues higher number of elderly of urban family opined positively than the elderly of OAH. But only for ‘arrangement of recreation’ higher number of the elderly of OAH gives positive opinion than the elderly of urban family. Thus, from the issue based discussion of the summary it is said that the overall situation (socio-economic status, health status and psychological condition) of the elderly of urban family is better than that of OAH of the study area. So, our concentration to the elderly should be enhanced and should take care the elderly within the family setting. Especially family members’ cooperation must be increased to the elderly. Based on the findings of the study policy suggestions have been made in two levels: government level and private level. In government level; long term population policy, reducing old age dependency ratio, continuation of growing trend of life expectancy, application of ‘Parents Maintenance Law 2013’ and ‘National Policy on Older Persons 2013’, financial support to the elderly, to aware the younger generation about their duties and responsibilities to the elderly have been emphasized. But in private level; to establish charitable institute/trust, to enhance the services to the elderly and to increase the NGO activities to the elderly have been highlighted.