Equity and systems of intergenerational transfers in Latin America and the Caribbean

Intrafamilial intergenerational transfers involve direct transfers from one generation to another via family connections. Family ties secure the claims of one group of individuals on the goods or services produced and delivered by other family members. When the family is unable to produce sufficient godds or services to meet the demands of all family members, then family assets have to be augmented. In addition to the transfer of goods and services, these intrafamilial transfers include emotional and moral support, personal companionship, and other intangibles. The mechanisms for these intrafamilial transfers are not always stated explicitly. Instead, the mechanisms are frequently worked out according to the availability of kin and the expectations of how limited resources are to be distributed among generations within a family. In the case of poor families, the balance is often tilted in favor of the younger generation, and the burden of old age care becomes a major stress if there is not additional support from the broader society (AU)

The retiring ophthalmologist - reflections in amber

After all the years of hard work, after all the years of planning and positioning, there comes a time when most ophthalmologists will have to adjust to the inevitable life changes that he or she will face. The preparation for this change will make the difference between contentment and frustration for many. The focus of the eye surgeon changes from decade to decade almost imperceptyibly and, while many react to the changes as they happen, others attempt to manage the change in focus. Knowing what to expect from oneself and understanding how to prepare for the diminishing years, will lead to self realization and self actualization, and for the ophthalmologist on the down slope of his years this knowledge is all important.(AU)

Coping with retirement: a comparitive and analytic study of retired nurses and dock workers in Jamaica

The populations of the world are aging especially those of developing countries like the Caribbean and specifically Jamaica where life expectancy at birth is 74 years. This study looked at retired public sector registered nurses and compared the findings with those of a similar study done concurrently on retired dock workers in Jamaica [Cumbertbatch, E. 1996]. The studies examined the coping strategies and assessed the two groups paying special attention to their health and social status. The data gleaned from the studies showed that the majority of retired nurses found were in the age group 60-64 years, only 5 percent of those over 75 years were found instead of the expected 39 percent. Sixty three percent lived in rural areas and thirty-seven percent lived in Kingston and St. Andrew, while most of the dock workers lived in Kingston and St. Andrew. The majority owned a house. The perceived health status of the groups was good and they are all mentally and physically self-supporting. The three main diseases affecting them, were hypertension, arthritis and diabetes. However, the incidence of these diseases among the groups was slightly lower than the national figures with the exception of arthritis which was more common among dock workers (30 percent) and was higher than in the nurses (25 percent) and the national population of elderly (40 percent). The majority of them said they had no difficulty acessing health care and more than 50 percent got most of their health care from private practitioners, while an average of twenty percent said that they were unable to finance their health care. More than 70 percent of both groups said that their pensions were inadequate to meet financial needs. They therefore depend on other sources of income such as : present employment, investment and support from family. Hence 70 percent of the nurses and 5 percent of the dock-workers were presently employed. The main coping strategies employed were close links with family and friends and active involvement in church and community groups. The nurses expressed a high level of satisfaction about themselves and life, more so than dock workers. These findings raise questions such as "how will the retired nurses and dock-workers of the future cope with retirement?" It is therefore necessary for their employers and professional associations to develop and implement retirement plans for them with urgency. (AU)

Coping with retirement: a comparitive study among retired dockworkers and retired nurses

Populations across the world are ageing in terms of life after age 60 and the section of the population referred to as the elderly is growing at a rapid rate. This study seeks to examine the strategies adopted for coping with the phenomena of retirement among a sample of retired dockworkers and retired nurses; and to compare the findings of the two groups. The population comprised of 62 dockworkers between the ages 65 years to over 75 years from urban and rural areas. Overall they were relatively healthy. The chronic diseases suffered in this population was arthritis, hypertension and diabetes as the leading three. The study substantiated the view that pensioners were the ones who felt the pressures of inflation because they were not productive employees and that the money needed to purchase necessary foods was never enough since they needed to purchase at the same prices as the rest of the population; hence the importance for persons to begin preparing for retirement long ahead of the scheduled time. It is therefore necessary for employers to take the initiative and introduce seminars which will inform their employees as to retirement plans that will enable them to invest wisely during their working life and so earn from those investments during retirement. This study is part of a comparative study done simultaneously with one done among retired nurses by fellow Masters in Public Health student Marjorie Ming. (AU)

The elderly in Barbados: problems and policies

Empirical data on conditions affecting elderly people in the Caribbean are very limited. To help deal with this lack of information in the specific case of Barbados, in 1982 a survey was conducted of 525 randomly selected people 65 years of age or older. This article summarises data derived from that survey in order to provide an overview of the social and economic circumstances affecting Barbados' elderly population. While it is true that these circumstances do not necessarily mirror those found elsewhere, they clearly have elements in common; and it seems likely that the survey approach applied in this instance could prove useful elsewhere in obtaining worthwhile information. (AU)