Inter-Generational Dynamics: Understanding Changes in the Attitude of Elderly Towards Family Structures and Roles

There has been a steady rise in the proportion of Indians aged 60 and over (Dey, 2016). This will lead to a dramatic spike in the number of elderly people requiring assistance. As we become older, it's only natural that we spend less time interacting with those closest to us (Cumming and Henry 1961). According to Srivastava and Tripathi (2014) and Raikhola and Kuroki (2009), the family's evolving structure, role, and character greatly affects the ageing process.

To build up a home is the original meaning of the Latin word "familia," from which the English term "family" derives. It signifies a "group of individuals living together during significant stages of their lifetimes and tied to each other by biological or social and psychological relationships" (Sethi, that year). The world's population is becoming older, which will be a big problem in the next century. People and nations all around the globe are affected by the effects of an ageing population. The number of people 65 and older is rising in every nation on Earth. Several factors have contributed to this, such as changes in family structure, longer life expectancy, better public health, and lower fertility rates. Populations are becoming older, which is a common occurrence, due to longer life expectancy and lower birth rates.

According to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the total population of older adults in Asia will reach approximately 705 million in 2025, up from 322 million in 2000. The world's oldest populations will likely be found in Japan and Singapore by the year 2030. The family unit is undergoing profound transformation as a result of the rapid social and cultural changes taking place in India. transformations in power relations, marriage traditions, and women's roles within families occurred throughout the last decade with chaotic and disorganised transformations in the professional, social, economic, political, and religious spheres. Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and the national census show that nuclear families are becoming the most prevalent kind of Indian family, at least in urban regions. The 1991 census was the first to reveal that household expansion was outpacing population increase, which raised the possibility of household fragmentation. It was the same story with the censuses of 2001 and 2010. A comparison of the three NFHS data sets shows that the number of people living in households has been steadily decreasing over time, while the prevalence of nuclear families has been on the rise, particularly in metropolitan regions.

To live a healthy and long life, there is no better option than a family life, with all the love and support it offers. Home and family life take up an ever-increasing amount of space in our lives as we age.

Şener, Arzu. (2010). An examination of the societal value of ageing is now essential in light of the growing importance of concerns related to the functional independence, quality of life, and social integration of the elderly. To help the elderly accept ageing with grace, deal with its challenges, feel loved and cared for by society, and have a long, healthy, and fulfilling life as they age, certain things are essential, such as family support, confidence, adoration, and interest. As a result, the first social institution to investigate when dealing with the subject of ageing is the family unit. Because the family unit provides the most appropriate context for assessing ageing and the meaning of "old age.".

Silverstein, Merril & Giarrusso, Roseann. (2010). The purpose of this review is to provide a synopsis and critical analysis of the most important theoretical, conceptual, and empirical developments in the last ten years of research on ageing families. A broader view based on four main points has helped the field progress: (a) the complexities of emotional interactions, (b) the variety of family structures and homes, (c) the interconnectedness of family functions and roles, and (d) the patterns and results of caring. The literature on ageing families has failed to adequately represent varied populations or use the entire range of available methodological tools, despite the fact that research on the topic has improved theory and implemented novel statistical approaches. With the baby boomer generation and their families entering their golden years, we address these and other cutting-edge fields of study.

Gergov, Teodor. (2020). Objectives. The purpose of this article is to investigate how family dynamics impact fundamental ageing psychological processes, including the capacity to modulate, stabilise, and postpone the onset of age-related psychological changes. In order to achieve this goal, we reviewed a plethora of research articles that delved more into this subject. Content and procedures. The literature on this issue over the last several years has been thoroughly examined. The literature on the importance of family to the mental health of the elderly has been painstakingly reviewed and edited. We used the specific databases to search for certain terms and phrases. End result. Some predicted patterns were shown by the analysis. Different types of partnerships tend to take the stage as people go through their lives. These include things like spiritual connection, sharing, caring for others, friendship, etc., as we age. The elderly' primary means of contact turn out to be their families. It is the best place for the elderly person to fulfil his fundamental and higher-order demands, as well as to expand his repertory of functions. Final thoughts. When it comes to the mental health of the elderly, the family plays a special role. The key to helping the elderly relax is showing them care, respect, and kindness. Helping an elderly person out is a sign of devotion and care, and being in their company is important to them and helps them stay mentally stable.

Abdulraheem, Ikililu & Parakoyi, Dauda. (2005). Nigeria is seeing a growth in both the number of individuals reaching old age and the amount of awareness around the topic, but the country still lacks a comprehensive programme to care for its senior citizens. Carers' attitudes were measured in seven of Ilorin metropolis's eleven wards for this research. Of those who provided care, 44.4% were daughters, 18.3% were sons, 24.6% were family-related, 1.4% were workers, 4.5% were neighbours, and 6.8% were members of the community. A three-part structured questionnaire measuring socio-demographic factors and attitudes towards general and specialised aspects of elder care was used to obtain the data. It was also determined if health education had an effect on carers' attitudes about caring for the old. Carers' attitudes were determined to be generally favourable using the scoring method, and they showed a significant change after the Health Education intervention. After the intervention, the mean (SD) score rose considerably from 78.4 +/- 14.6 before to 96.8 +/- 15.2, with a p-value less than 0.05. Carers' attitudes towards aged care were most affected by religious teaching (35.9%), traditional/customary duty (28.7%), and personal sentiment (21.1%). There was no statistically significant relationship between the educational level of careers and the optimal location for elderly care (p > 0.05). Attitude assessment was positively impacted by gender on average. Findings suggest that caring for the elderly is still highly valued, even in the absence of targeted government initiatives and funding. Home care for the elderly is still highly valued in this nation, with many seeing it as the duty of children and other family members, making it unlikely that health education interventions would be able to influence careers’ unfavorable attitudes towards institutional care. Some caretakers also think institutional care is terrible and careless.

Suryavanshi, Priyanka. (2020). Traditional Indian culture has been impacted in every way by the fast socioeconomic transition that has taken place in recent times. According to research by Irudaya Rajan, S., Mishra, US, and Sarma, PS. (2003), the two most populous Asian countries, China and India, are expected to account for a considerable percentage of this increasing elderly population. Many causes, both universal and local, will impact ageing in the next century. Studies focusing on older individuals in India have recently received more attention, driven by both the growing population and notable shifts in the country's sociocultural landscape. A decrease in the condition of the elderly population has been caused by the swiftly deteriorating conventional family structure, even though the growing numbers are attributed to the demographic shift. Because of this, national policymakers are increasingly worried about carer difficulties. As a unit, families are going through changes that force them to adapt to new ways of caring for their ageing loved ones, who may be more susceptible to physical and mental health problems without the support of their extended family. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the challenges experienced by family cares of the elderly and to provide solutions, such as family counselling, to the current degrading state of traditional family norms.

The relationship between ageing and family transition in developing nations is attracting increasing attention from researchers. This is largely caused by the rapid demographic, social, and economic transformation taking place in emerging nations. Reduced infant mortality, which leads to longer life expectancy, and falling birth rates, which usually follow improvements in infant mortality rates, have interacted to cause an ageing population (United Nations 2013; Harper 2003). One major effect of population shifts on family dynamics is the growth of vertical multi-generational households, which supplant traditional lateral extended family models (Harper and Levin 2003). The fast ageing and modernising processes have put a burden on the traditional family assistance provided by adult children (Aziz and Yusooff 2012; Raikhola and Kuroki 2009). As a result of the dramatic rise in the number of people aged 65 and older, many Asian families are struggling to meet the care needs of their elderly loved ones. On the other hand, data on the effectiveness of formal training programmes for the aged is scarce in underdeveloped nations (Mason and Lee, 2011). The World Bank reports that seniors in developing countries are seeing the dismantling of informal support networks (1994). Changes in family support for the elderly have been attributed to advancements in industry, globalisation, migration, and urbanisation (Chan, 2005). The dynamics of families in countries in Southeast and Eastern Asia have been greatly affected by the rapid social and economic development in recent decades. Asian governments are ill-prepared for an ageing population compared to their Western counterparts due to the rapid changes occurring in those regions at the moment (Palloni, 2009). If we want to comprehend family structures and the ties between generations, we must take structural changes into account. Research by Kinsella and Phillips (2005) shows that even countries with falling birth rates would have fewer children in total.

The present system of assistance will be weakened as a result of fewer potential carers for elderly parents (Powell 2010; Kinsella and Phillips 2005). However, there have been major shifts in the kind of relationships that exist within the last few decades. Ageing has far-reaching effects on family structures due to its effects on housing conditions and the longevity of the older population (Palloni 2001). Traditional extended families are able to care for their older members because of the social connections and interactions across kin groupings and because different age groups have different responsibilities and chores (Mba 2010; 2002). Traditional family structures and ways of caring for the elderly may be threatened by economic change caused by urbanisation and increased migration, according to Mason (1992) and Schwarz (2003). Schroder (2006) found that the elderly in Indonesia were vulnerable on varying degrees. She continued by showing that although not all seniors face hardship, those who are alone may be more susceptible to harm than others.

In regions lacking official social security systems and social services, family often becomes the primary care for the elderly. Because they are less able to contribute physically and monetarily as they age, the elderly in these situations rely heavily on family members for support. The number of people aged 65 and older living alone is higher than the general population in many developed countries. The trend of older persons living alone has grown in recent years, especially in wealthy countries like the US where most seniors are self-sufficient. According to research by Bongaarts and Zimmer (2001), about 10% of the elderly live alone, with older women being more likely to do so than older males. Some have argued that living alone is incompatible with obtaining assistance from family members, as the former requires one to live in close proximity to the latter (Lei et al., 2015). Research on ageing in developing countries (Kinsella and Phillips, 2005) indicates that older individuals prefer to live near or even live with their adult children in order to get help. Studies conducted by the World Bank in 2008 and the National Elderly Survey in 2004 indicate that while most seniors now live with their children, this trend is expected to change in the not-too-distant future. The demand for Sri Lanka's senior homes is on the rise, according to further study by Siddhisena (2014) and Silva (2004).

When considering all the demographic, social, and economic factors that will lead to a rise in the number of old people living alone in the near future, the likelihood of this trend becomes more pronounced. The mental and financial well-being of elderly individuals may be profoundly affected by marital status, which often determines living conditions and the accessibility of carers. The majority of the world's elderly without spouses are widowed, however some have never tied the knot and others have experienced the dissolution of a marriage (United Nations 2013). Older men tend to live with a spouse at a higher rate than older women for a number of reasons, including women's longer life expectancies, men's tendency to marry younger women, and the fact that older widowed men remarry at a higher rate than older widowed women (United Nations 2009). Alavi (2013) asserts that the shifting dynamics inside Malaysian families have had a profound effect on the bond between parents and their adult children. Caring, parent-child engagement, responsibility, and quality relationships are some of the ways in which today's elderly parents are linked to their adult children. Daughters, not boys, were found to be more likely to head up partnerships and child care, according to the poll.

 Lei et al. (2015) states that living in close proximity to one another helps alleviate the conflict that arises when considering the importance of family support, independence, and privacy. Additionally, they demonstrate how important it is to reside near parents to assist the elderly while simultaneously protecting the independence and privacy of both parents and children. More frequent visits and financial help from children living closer to their parents are common compared to children living further away. But it also shows how important co-residence is for senior support services. When parents move in with one kid, it reduces the burden of visiting and the possibility of financial transfers on the other children. Seventy percent of Thailand's senior citizens live in close proximity to or with their offspring, according to a study by Knodel and Chayovan (2008).

The responsibilities and organizational systems within a family affect the quality of care provided to elderly people, according to this research. Meeting the needs of the elderly is the goal of the family's caregiving. Unfortunately, many young, uninformed, and unhappy persons without the proper skills to care for elderly people end up taking it upon themselves to do so as a result of changing social and economic systems. Changes in the family's economic situation, the dynamics between parents and children, and a decrease in family size have all contributed to the widening gap between the elderly and their adult children. Evidence from this study shows that the change in family structures is mostly due to modernity. The extended family has changed the least in relation to its structure compared to the nuclear family, which is also a result of modernity. The quality of care that the old get may be affected by this structural change, which is especially noticeable in relation to the proper provision for the aged. This can be prevented or at least mitigated if families and the government work together to enhance senior care.