Changes of norms in Elderly Care
Kayamma Rasheed
Ant:101 Cultural Anthropology
Instructor: Emma Bates
September 30,2013
Introduction:
Elderly care differs from culture to culture. Elders are respected, obeyed and considered a source of wisdom. In American culture , people think to acquire old age is an accomplishment. Elderly care is embraced on different levels in other cultures. A cross-cultural focus allows me to elaborate on the Swedish, Japanese, and Ethiopian cultures pertaining to their elderly care. Elders in Sweden …show more content…
Many elders in Sweden are offered sustainable care through the government which allows them more leisure for them to enjoy life without the burden of not having any care at all. To gain stability for similar issues seems far less obtainable in other cultures especially in Ethiopia. Ethiopian elders have a huge disadvantage against them being more susceptible to endure death due to lack of adequate care for elders. Dependent elderly parents find secure refuge under the care and protection of their children and grand children until their days end. Times are changing, most young people are also selfish, but it has remained a greater challenge for older parents to accept or adjust to the facts of changes. Poverty, changes in family life and the impact of HIV/Aids are now taking their toll of Ethiopia 's elderly. More and more Ethiopians are becoming orphans left alone to fend for themselves without any pensions or relatives to care for them. Pensions are more of a curse, those that receive it are usually victims of being robbed by their own families. The AIDS epidemic has impacted the continent in so many ways limiting basic healthcare to elders to treat more serious conditions. However, the situation in Japan also reflects changing norms that have seen more young adults living away from their aging parents. With this growing issue the elderly is left to depend on government assistance only if they qualify. Maintaining a stability in the Japanese cultures seems to be a growing problem. In earlier years in Japan families were expected to take on the role as caregivers for their love ones. In fact, the number of Japanese who are over 65 years old, living alone and with no one to look after them, numbered more than 4.6 million as of June 2009.(2009)Nakame, J. Perspectives of Elderly Care in Japan. Therefore, with more stable elderly care systems being implemented or innovated in these cultures would allow the elderly a chance of gaining more suitable life in