Family support and care for the elderly: evidences from India

Daliya Sebastian, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Manoj Raut, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Traditionally family is the most important institution for supporting the aged in India. Socio-economic changes coupled with disintegration of joint family system have forced many elderly to look for external support. In this context, the paper tries to examine the family support and care of elderly by using data from a nationally representative sample survey of 2004. The analysis shows that around 78 percent of the economically dependent elderly were supported by their own children and 3 percent by grand children. With regard to living arrangement around 5 percent of the elderly were living alone and 12 percent were living with their spouse. However, 8 percent of elderly reported that no one to help them when needed. Many elderly of aged eighty years and above were forced to work and support their families, despite poor health. In brief, the increasing vulnerability of aged is a matter of major concern.