An aging society have an enormous impact on a country’s society. For a developing economy, are its citizens ready for the changes that an aged society brings? Education could be a leveler in that by educating its younger generation on the aspect of aging and aged care, and most importantly caring for the elderly, the aged society could ensure that the elderly have access to health and wellbeing, part of the 2030 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This paper presents part of its current research on a qualitative inquiry aimed to explore personal and situational factors affecting both the elderly and caregivers’ daily routines. The term "situational factors" refers to all externalities (infrastructure; facilities; accessibility and availability; policy; governance) that have a direct or indirect effect on changes in individual behaviors, whereas "personal factors" refers to internal factors (demographic factors; family dynamics; self-efficacy; social norms; knowledge and experience). Based on interviews with more than 30 elderly and caregivers, through both direct interviews and focus group interviews, the research has found that both personal and situational factors play a role in the wellbeing of the elderly. In addition, the research also suggest these three areas: 1) Respondents have preferences to age in place, preferably in the care of their family members,2) Concerns of health and sustainability of being independent and mobile and lastly, 3) Ensuring financial capability for unexpected medical expenses and caregiving expenses.

Authors:
Kadzrina Abdul Kadir, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
Emy Ezura Abdul Jalil, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
Hazlinda Hassan, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
Raja Kamariah Raja Mohd Khalid, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Kadzrina Abdul Kadir is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia in Malaysia

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark