Exploring the Perspectives of Elderly Individuals Regarding their Care and Support within their Families in Rural Sindh Pakistan: A Qualitative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15687321Keywords:
Elderly Individual, Care, Support, Family, Rural SindhAbstract
Purpose: Concerns pertaining to care and support of elderly individuals are rising due to rapid changes in family structures in rural Sindh. The current study aims to explore the perspectives of elderly individuals about their care and support they receive from their families.
Design / Methodology / Approach: Employing qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted through purposive sampling in villages (Ghulam Muhammad Leghari, Saeed Khan Leghari, Hala old, Darya Khan Talpur, Sandhan) of rural Sindh.
Findings: The findings indicate a growing shift from joint family structures to nuclear family structures owing to various social factors which not only decrease the influence and power of elderly individuals over other family member but compromise their well-being as well. This presents them with various challenges, such as the lack of appropriate food and limited financial assistance to meet their basic needs. Elderly individuals respond to these challenges either by showing tolerance or by expressing their hardships to relatives and friends.
Implications/Originality/Value: These findings point to the need for community based educational programs to sensitize young generations about the needs and feelings of elderly individuals and framing policies and tailored programs to uplift the elderly individuals of rural Sindh.
References
Ashiq, U., & Abbas, N. (2020). Dwindling Classical Cultural Trends of Family: Prospect Consequences on Elderly Care in Modern Pakistan.
Cassum, L. A., Cash, K., Qidwai, W., & Vertejee, S. (2020). Exploring the experiences of older adults who are brought to live in shelter homes in Karachi, Pakistan: a qualitative study. BMC geriatrics, 20, 1-12.
Chen, F., Liu, G., & Mair, C. A. (2011). Intergenerational ties in context: Grandparents caring for grandchildren in China. Social forces, 90(2), 571-594.
Chun Tie, Y., Birks, M., & Francis, K. (2019). Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers. SAGE open medicine, 7, 2050312118822927
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. SAGE.
Denny, E., & Weckesser, A. (2022). How to do qualitative research? Qualitative Research Methods. Bjog, 129(7), 1166.
David, M. K., & Ali, A. (2021). Discourse of folk literature on healthy ageing: A case study in Sindh, Pakistan during the pandemic crisis. Social Sciences, 10(9), 350.
Di, Y., & Yihong, J. (2023). How Resilient Is the Family? An Empirical Study of Family Care for the Young and the Elderly. Social Sciences in China, 44(4), 134-151.
Elias, H. C., Marzola, T. S., Molina, N. P. F. M., Assunção, L. M. D., Rodrigues, L. R., & Tavares, D. M. D. S. (2018). Relation between family functionality and the household arrangements of the elderly. Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia, 21(05), 562-569.
Feng, Z., Glinskaya, E., Chen, H., Gong, S., Qiu, Y., Xu, J., & Yip, W. (2020). Long-term care system for older adults in China: policy landscape, challenges, and future prospects. The Lancet, 396(10259), 1362-1372.
Juba, O. O., Olumide, A. O., & Azeez, O. (2024). The influence of family involvement on the quality of care for aged adults: A comparative study. International bulletin of History and Social Science, 1(4), 1-20.
Ismail, A. M. (2021). Care in practice: Negotiations regarding care for the elderly in multigenerational Arab Muslim families in Denmark. Contemporary Islam, 15(2), 215-232.
Li, S., Feldman, M. W., & Jin, X. (2004). Children, marriage form, and family support for the elderly in contemporary rural China. Research on Aging, 26(3), 352-384. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027503262477
Lin, W., & Li, Q. (2017). Community service provision for the elderly under the context of competitive contracting in Guangzhou. China Journal of Social Work, 10(2-3), 152-165.
Moore, E., & Kelly, G. (2024). Struggles over elder care in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 41(6), 1062-1077.
Mugheri, M. A. R., Khushik, A. G., & Qadeer, Z. (2023). Analysis of Socio-Economic Conditions and Living Arrangements of Aged Widows of Rural Sindh. Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, 23(1), 1-26.
Pekkarinen, S., & Melkas, H. (2019). Welfare state transition in the making: Focus on the niche-regime interaction in Finnish elderly care services. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 145, 240-253
Raley, S., & Bianchi, S. (2006). Sons, daughters, and family processes: Does gender of children matter? Annu. Rev. Sociol., 32(1), 401-421.
Rahat, R., Sadaf, F., & Yunus, A. (2023). Unseen Heroes: Caregiving Experiences of Elderly Grandmothers in Pakistan. Human Nature Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2), 128-141.
Salahuddin, K., & Jalbani, A. A. (2006). Senior citizens: A case study of Pakistan. JISR management and social Sciences & economics, 4(2), 26-31.
Silverstein, M., Cong, Z., & Li, S. (2006). Intergenerational transfers and living arrangements of older people in rural China: Consequences for psychological well-being. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 61(5), S256-S266.
Shekhani, S. S. (2024). Daughters and daughters-in-law providing elderly care: a qualitative study from Karachi, Pakistan. BMC geriatrics, 24(1), 785.
Swartz, T. T. (2009). Intergenerational family relations in adulthood: Patterns, variations, and implications in the contemporary United States. Annual review of sociology, 35(1), 191-212
Tracy, S. J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. John Wiley & Sons.
Zhang, Z., & Di, H. (2025, January). Analysis and Strategies to Improve Living Conditions of Elderly Living Alone in China: A Healthcare Context. In Healthcare (Vol. 13, No. 3, p. 219). MDPI.