Family accommodation of the Aging Relatives
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Family accommodation of the Aging Relatives
Living with extended family members serves as a common household arrangement in the life of older people around the international community. When it comes to the United States, there is less likelihood of older individuals living this way. The country’s care structure is broken such that it becomes easier for older people to live alone. Another arrangement may comprise the older people living with only a spouse/partner. When talking about older people, these are individuals who come from over 65 years old. Their care comes from the aspect of the world experiencing challenges associated with an increasingly aged population. The study examines the various experiences and attitudes of older individuals in two main countries, such as the United States and Canada.
According to the study’s insight, the focus is on the various attitudes and problems associated with the elderly living in Canada and the United States. Each of the two countries possesses well-structured and developed health care and social welfare systems with the capacity to provide retirement pensions. The elderly also receive health care coverage. Concerning health coverage, the elderly population is particularly interesting because the US federal government has ensured that almost every elderly individual has government-sponsored health insurance coverage (Smith, Strohschein, & Crosnoe, 2018). This is made possible through Medicare. The functionality has enabled the United States to be in a similar situation as Canada in this regard. When it comes to the United States, there is a fear of health care cost, which astounding among different older adults compared to Canada. Canada has ensured equality in terms of the elderly receiving care, most medical services.
The United States has the largest size of the population regarding older people in comparison to Canada. The older population makes a significant part of the country’s total population. Canada has only 10% of its larger population comprising the elderly. The United States has the lowest life expectancy among older people compared to Canada. Canada is among the countries with the lowest health expenditure as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP). Despite similar perceptions that American elderly have a high possibility of living independently, the aspect of living alone in the United States serves as a common phenomenon. Canada also has approximately 40% of its elderly population living alone. There are also patterns of the elderly living with their relatives and spouses, depending on their environmental settings. When it comes to Canada, older adults always report living in similar communities with stable and lengthy periods. Compared to Canada, the American elderly are not mobile (Pillemer, Burnes, Riffin, & Lachs, 2016). They tend to be settled in their respective environments compared to those in Canada.
Life satisfaction and engagement in areas of productivity are significant in the two countries. The older adults are always focused on the proper use of their time. They are always focused on ensuring that their social well-being becomes a priority to them and their extended families. The situation sees the United States and Canada experiencing the highest levels of satisfaction among the old society members. Despite this, nursing homes are a little bit of lower quality in the United States than Canada. Canada has one of the best social welfare systems in the world compared to most countries. This means that the elderly have a higher possibility of receiving the best services than the United States.
References
Pillemer, K., Burnes, D., Riffin, C., & Lachs, M. S. (2016). Elder abuse: Global situation, risk factors, and prevention strategies. The Gerontologist, 56(Suppl_2), S194-S205.
Smith, C., Strohschein, L., & Crosnoe, R. (2018). Family histories and teen pregnancy in the United States and Canada. Journal of Marriage and Family, 80(5), 1244-1258.