Question

What are the best practice or approach to addressing these issues to changes in family structure and helping an elderly client with these issues?

Answer 1

A considerable amount of debate is going on about the changing family culture affecting the elders. Joint families getting cut short to nuclear ones is not just a sight in our country but happens all over the world. Single parent family, blended families, seperated families are all around us now, which was not much common in our previous generation. This is what makes our elder generation worried.

The present family system, according to studies, show relatively lower levels of love and communication between the family members. This happens as the bonding and values are nowhere to be seen and followed. But the elders in our families have seen that essential family care and support and now they lack it in their old ages. They become physically weak, and in the stage where they need real care from the family, the are worried about their families being split to different places. Also this could lead to the elder generation not receiving enough support from their families, financially and mentally.

Financial support for the elders are considered by the government and schemes are being introduced so that fear would hopefully come to an end soon. But the care the wish for should be given to them, and institutions like old age homes can solve that to certain limits. They are an existing solution as they have communities there and social interaction helps the elder people forget their issues and induce a feeling that they have someone.

Social interaction is what can be introduced to help elder people from this changing trends in family structure. Both the elder generation and their children should be made aware of it, and both parties should come to an understanding to resolve the issues within the current scenario.