Population Ageing and the Well-Being of Older Persons in Thailand ...
Population Ageing and the Well-Being of Older Persons in Thailand ... Population Ageing and the Well-Being of Older Persons in Thailand ...
Section 5: Family support and intergenerational exchanges grandchildren who have no parent living in the household, information is also available on who provides care for the grandchildren and who supports the grandchildren financially. This it provides the basis for a more direct and detailed assessment of the extent to which older age grandparents are involved in raising grandchildren than estimates of skip generation households. Table 5.5 shows the per cent distribution of older persons with respect to the presence of co-resident grandchildren, both by area of residence and by a combined measure of marital status and gender. 18 Overall, just over half of persons age 60 and older do not have any grandchildren in the household. For another five per cent the grandchildren in the household are all age 18 or over and thus more or less independent. Only 2 per cent of elderly live in households where both grandchildren with parents and without parents are present. Among the remaining elderly, living with minor grandchildren without a parent present is even more likely than living with grandchildren whose parent is present. As the bottom row of Table 5.5 indicates, a total of one out of four elderly persons has at least one minor age grandchild without a parent present indicating that this is a relatively common situation. In addition, rural elderly are noticeably more likely to have a minor age grandchild present without a parent than are urban elderly, likely reflecting the substantial migration of rural adult children seeking employment elsewhere, particularly to more urbanized settings where better employment opportunities are available. In situations where only one grandparent is in the household, grandmothers are more likely than grandfathers to live with a minor grandchild, especially when the grandchild has no parent present. This likely reflects the traditional division of labour in which women are more likely than men to take on childrearing including for grandchildren. 46
Section 5: Family support and intergenerational exchanges Figure 5.4 provides information on who provides care and material support for grandchildren who live with their grandparents but whose parents are absent. In slightly half of the cases, a grandparent is the main person caretaker for the grandchildren but in only a relatively small per cent are the grandparents the primary providers of financial support for the child. Instead, the parents of the grandchild typically take responsibility for their children’s financial support. A similar finding emerged from a recent specialized survey addressing the implications of migration of adult children for their older age rural parents (Knodel et al. 2007). This undoubtedly reflects an ability to send remittances by adult children who migrated elsewhere to find employment. In a small number of cases grandchildren take care of and financially support themselves, presumably reflecting the some are themselves adults. 5.2 Material Support Children can be important sources of economic support to elderly parents through providing money, food, and goods. As indicated in Section 3, children frequently are cited as a source of income with just over half of all older persons reporting that children are their main source of current income. Figure 5.5 compares results from 1994 and 2007 Surveys of Older Persons in Thailand with respect to children as a source of income for elderly parents. Since only those older persons with living children can receive income from children, results are limited to respondents who have at least one living child. In both surveys the large majority of parents reported that they received income in the prior year from children. Also in both surveys over half of the parents indicated that children were their main source of income. The per cent who received any income is a little higher for rural than urban parents but about the same per cent of both groups in each survey report children as their main source of income. Perhaps most striking is the lack of change between the two surveys in either measure. This contradicts impressions promoted in the mass media that “an increasing number [of elderly] do not get support from their younger relatives.” (The Nation 2007). 19 47
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Section 5: Family support <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>tergenerational exchanges<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>children who have no parent liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
household, <strong>in</strong>formation is also available on who<br />
provides care for <strong>the</strong> gr<strong>and</strong>children <strong>and</strong> who supports<br />
<strong>the</strong> gr<strong>and</strong>children f<strong>in</strong>ancially. This it provides <strong>the</strong><br />
basis for a more direct <strong>and</strong> detailed assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
extent to which older age gr<strong>and</strong>parents are <strong>in</strong>volved<br />
<strong>in</strong> rais<strong>in</strong>g gr<strong>and</strong>children than estimates <strong>of</strong> skip<br />
generation households.<br />
Table 5.5 shows <strong>the</strong> per cent distribution <strong>of</strong> older<br />
persons with respect to <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> co-resident<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>children, both by area <strong>of</strong> residence <strong>and</strong> by a<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>ed measure <strong>of</strong> marital status <strong>and</strong> gender. 18<br />
Overall, just over half <strong>of</strong> persons age 60 <strong>and</strong> older do<br />
not have any gr<strong>and</strong>children <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> household. For<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r five per cent <strong>the</strong> gr<strong>and</strong>children <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
household are all age 18 or over <strong>and</strong> thus more or less<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependent. Only 2 per cent <strong>of</strong> elderly live <strong>in</strong><br />
households where both gr<strong>and</strong>children with parents<br />
<strong>and</strong> without parents are present.<br />
Among <strong>the</strong> rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g elderly, liv<strong>in</strong>g with m<strong>in</strong>or<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>children without a parent present is even more<br />
likely than liv<strong>in</strong>g with gr<strong>and</strong>children whose parent is<br />
present. As <strong>the</strong> bottom row <strong>of</strong> Table 5.5 <strong>in</strong>dicates, a<br />
total <strong>of</strong> one out <strong>of</strong> four elderly persons has at least one<br />
m<strong>in</strong>or age gr<strong>and</strong>child without a parent present<br />
<strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g that this is a relatively common situation.<br />
In addition, rural elderly are noticeably more likely to<br />
have a m<strong>in</strong>or age gr<strong>and</strong>child present without a parent<br />
than are urban elderly, likely reflect<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> substantial<br />
migration <strong>of</strong> rural adult children seek<strong>in</strong>g employment<br />
elsewhere, particularly to more urbanized sett<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
where better employment opportunities are available.<br />
In situations where only one gr<strong>and</strong>parent is <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
household, gr<strong>and</strong>mo<strong>the</strong>rs are more likely than<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>fa<strong>the</strong>rs to live with a m<strong>in</strong>or gr<strong>and</strong>child,<br />
especially when <strong>the</strong> gr<strong>and</strong>child has no parent present.<br />
This likely reflects <strong>the</strong> traditional division <strong>of</strong> labour<br />
<strong>in</strong> which women are more likely than men to take on<br />
childrear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g for gr<strong>and</strong>children.<br />
46
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