Financial Dependency of Older Person on Their Adult Children: A Case of Older Persons in Rural Kedah Malaysia

Abstract

One of the important issues in population aging is regarding the issues of financial dependency. The present paper aims at investigating the financial dependency of older persons in the village of Kubang Pasu, in the district of Kubang Pasu, Kedah, Malaysia. More specifically, the present paper analyzes (1): demographic and socioeconomic profiles of older persons in rural Kedah, Malaysia; (2): monthly income receives from children; (3): level of money dependency of older people on adult children; and (4): the relative importance of money sending from adult children in rural Kedah, Malaysia. This study was conducted in the village of Kubang Pasu, district of Kubang Pasu, one of the rural areas in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. This paper is basically employed a descriptive research design. It is used when a researcher seeks a better understanding and measure how variables are naturally distributed. Data for the study were collected through structured and unstructured interviews with research participants, coupled with observations on their daily lives. Data were analyzed using descriptive and thematic approach. Results of the study revealed that (1): older persons in this survey are 39 men and 37 women; they are young old, aged 64 to 79. Two of them aged 80 and over. Most of them reported as having secondary school certificate or above, still working and still married; (2): The majority of older persons have a monthly income of below than RM870, below poverty level. The income is too low, not enough for daily living, and older persons used all the income for daily expenses. (3): In terms of the level of financial dependency, the answer varies between older persons; there are older person who feel their level of financial dependency is low, while others are moderate and high, but in the future they believe their level of financial dependency will be high. (4): older person also varies in terms of perceive importance of money sending from children to help them lighten the burdens of daily problem; some perceive as important, while others perceive as not too important. To conclude, although income level of older persons in rural Kedah is low they do not feel they are too worry about their financial problems.

Keywords: population ageing; older persons; rural areas; financial dependency; well-being