Old Age Care Preferences Among Chinese Middle-Aged Single-Child Parents and the Related Policy Implications.

We contrast rural and urban single-child parents' old age care preferences and factors determining their preferences. The results show that single-child parents are more likely to report specific old age preferences than parents with multiple children; urban single-child parents are also more likely to have specific old age care preferences than their rural counterparts. Pension/social insurance is most preferred by urban single-child parents; whereas the preferences of rural single-child parents are more diverse. The most significant rural and urban differences lie in the effects of social and medical insurance on the respondents' selection of care sources. Policy implications are discussed in the end.

Hong Kong Chinese aging adults voice financial care expectations in changing family and sociocultural contexts: implications for policy and services.

Despite being one of the world's wealthiest cities, approximately one-third of Hong Kong older adults live below the poverty line. Innovatively using the Photovoice research method, this study invited 36 Hong Kong Chinese aging adults to photograph images and voice their concerns and expectations regarding financial care. Insufficient government support, diminishing family support, insecurity and fear regarding future finances, and strong desire for self-sufficiency through early preparation and bridge employment were recurring themes observed in the participants' photographs and narratives. The shifting of the participants' financial care expectations from informal to formal sources in changing family and sociocultural contexts indicated that older people are in urgent need of policy reform from a needs-based to rights-based approach to foster empowerment and fulfill older people's rights of financial security, dignity and participation. Improving the retirement protection system should go hand in hand with encouraging family support and caregiving and creating age-friendly working environment for older residents. The findings of this study may have crucial policy implications for Hong Kong and other aging societies, especially those that share similar filial piety values and have seemingly ungenerous welfare systems.

A cost of living longer: Projections of the effects of prospective mortality improvement on economic support ratios for 14 advanced economies.

The economic implications of increasing life expectancy are important concerns for governments in developed countries. The aims of this study were as follows: (i) to forecast mortality for 14 developed countries from 2010 to 2050, using the Poisson Common Factor Model; (ii) to project the effects of the forecast mortality patterns on support ratios; and (iii) to calculate labour force participation increases which could offset these effects. The forecast gains in life expectancy correlate negatively with current fertility. Pre-2050 support ratios are projected to fall most in Japan and east-central and southern Europe, and least in Sweden and Australia. A post-2050 recovery is projected for most east-central and southern European countries. The increases in labour force participation needed to counterbalance the effects of mortality improvement are greatest for Japan, Poland, and the Czech Republic, and least for the USA, Canada, Netherlands, and Sweden. The policy implications are discussed.

Amparo social ao idoso: benefício assistencial e não aposentadoria / Social protection for the elderly: welfare benefits and non-retirement benefits / Amparo social al anciano: beneficio asistencial y no jubilación

O presente artigo visa a destacar as principais diferenças entre Amparo ao Idoso e Aposentadoria, dentro do Sistema Jurídico Brasileiro. Com relação à Aposentadoria, discorremos sobre tempo de carência, espécies, dependentes e manutenção da qualidade de segurado; e quanto ao Amparo os requisitos e a renda da composição familiar. Por todo o exposto, é de salutar importância reconhecer as principais diferenças entre a Aposentadoria e o Amparo Social.

This article aims to highlight the main differences between support to the elderly and retirement within the Brazilian legal system. Regarding retirement carry on about lack of time, species dependent and maintaining quality of insured and how to support the requirement and income of family composition. For all the above, it is salutary important to recognize the key differences between retirement and social protection.

Este artículo pretende destacar las principales diferencias entre el apoyo a los ancianos y la jubilación dentro del ordenamiento jurídico brasileño. En cuanto a la jubilación llevar a cabo sobre la falta de tiempo, las especies dependen y mantener la calidad de los asegurados y la forma de apoyar el requisito y los ingresos de la composición de la familia. Por todo lo anterior, es importante salutar reconocer las diferencias clave entre la jubilación y la protección social.

Adultos mayores: protección legal, económica y afectiva recibida de familiares, autoridades y sociedade, San Estanislao, año 2011 / Older adults: legal, economic and emotional protection received from relatives, authorities and society, San Estanislao, year 2011

Esta investigación, realizada en la ciudad de San Estanislao, Departamento de San Pedro plantea la protección legal, económica y afectiva que reciben los Adultos Mayores por parte de familiares, autoridades y sociedad en San Estanislao, durante el año 2011. Tuvo la finalidad de determinar la protección legal, económica y afectiva que reciben los adultos mayores de familiares, autoridades y sociedad en San Estanislao, en el año 2011. Se supuso que en el Distrito de San Estanislao, los adultos mayores carecen de protección legal, económica y afectiva. Se midieron variables como adultos mayores en situación de riesgo, nivel educativo, ingresos, protección legal, servicios de salud, recreación y relación afectiva. El diseño respondió a una investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa, de carácter exploratorio-descriptivo, transversal y no experimental. El método fue la encuesta; la técnica, la entrevista y los instrumentos, formularios de cuestionarios. La población fue de tres autoridades, cuatro líderes de organizaciones sociales y cien adultos mayores de San Estanislao. Se encontró que algunos adultos mayores viven solos o en la calle; otros, con extraños; el nivel educativo es bajo o nulo y no poseen ingresos económicos propios. La leyes N° 1885 y N° 3728 amparan al adulto mayor; los servicios de salud gratuitos son brindados por el médico ñaná, el Hospital Distrital y el Instituto de Previsión Social; la sociedad no les ofrece recreación y los familiares brindan cariño, afecto, besos y abrazos, con lo que se aceptó el supuesto de que en San Estanislao, los adultos mayores carecen de protección legal, económica y afectiva. Se recomendó a los familiares que protejan a los adultos mayores y a las autoridades y líderes sociales, que difundan y cumplan la legislación vigente. A partir de los hallazgos, se diseña un proyecto de carácter sociocultural y comunitario que se ejecutará con apoyo de la Municipalidad local.

Guilds and middle-class welfare, 1550­1800: provisions for burial, sickness, old age, and widowhood.

Guilds provided for masters' and journeymen's burial, sickness, old age, and widowhood. Guild welfare was of importance to artisans, to the functioning of guilds, to the myriad of urban social relations, and to the political economy. However, it is an understated and neglected aspect of guild activities. This article looks at welfare provision by guilds, with the aim of addressing four questions. Firstly, for which risks did guild welfare arrangements exist in the Netherlands between 1550 and 1800, and what were the coverage, contributions, benefit levels, and conditions? Secondly, can guild welfare arrangements be regarded as insurance? Thirdly, to what extent and how did guilds overcome classic insurance problems such as adverse selection, moral hazards, and correlated risks? Finally, what was the position of guild provision in the Dutch political economy and vis-à-vis poor relief?

Current issues on ageing in Japan: a comparison with Australia.

Japan's demography has changed dramatically, and with it, Japanese society and the circumstances of older people. These changes include shifts in family roles and functions, employment and social relations. Traditionally, families provided financial, physical and psychological support to their parents in the same household. While the proportion of older Japanese who live with adult children is still high in comparison to the rate in Western developed countries, patterns of care in Japan are gradually shifting towards the Western model. Public pensions supply financial support and the Long-Term Care Insurance System (LCIS) provides substantial physical care for frail older people. This paper focuses on current issues for older people in Japan, and provides a brief comparison with the situation in Australia. Japan's LCIS provides a simpler and more consistent basis for funding long-term care than Australia's system. On the other hand, Australia's pension system is comparatively robust.

The Judaic-Christian origin of nursing homes.

Many nursing homes today have a religious heritage. While governmental regulations control how much of the care is delivered, the foundations and goals of many homes predate governmental rules and payment policies. This paper explores the basis of Jewish and Christian thought in providing groundwork for religiously based nursing homes. Although the underlying principles are similar, differences in approach and execution for the formation of these homes exist.

The effect of heavy drinking on social security old-age and survivors insurance contributions and benefits.

This article estimates the effects of heavy alcohol consumption on Social Security Old-Age and Survivor Insurance (OASI) contributions and benefits. The analysis accounts for differential earnings and mortality experiences of individuals with different alcohol consumption patterns and controls for other characteristics, including smoking. Relative to moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers receive fewer OASI benefits relative to their contributions. Ironically, for each cohort of 25-year-olds, eliminating heavy drinking costs the program an additional $3 billion over the cohort's lifetime. Public health campaigns are designed to improve individual health-relevant behaviors and, in the long run, increase longevity. Therefore, if programs for the elderly are structured as longevity-independent defined benefit programs, their success will reward healthier behaviors but increase these programs' outlays and worsen their financial condition.

[Are the "elderly" living at the expense of the "young"? Remarks on the burden distribution between "generations" in an aging population from the economic perspective]. / Leben die "Alten" auf Kosten der "Jungen"? Anmerkungen zur Belastungsverteilung zwischen "Generationen" in einer alternden Bevölkerung aus ökonomischer Perspektive.

Public and scientific discussion on the effects of an aging population is often biased: aging is primarily seen as an economic burden. Increasing contribution rates in pension schemes, health and long-term care insurance are highlighted. This paper tries to provide a more balanced view. The distinction between a cross-sectional and a longitudinal view already gives different information on distributional effects. Labeling older people as "economically inactive" is a much too narrow perspective focused on the activity on the labor market only. Other types of work are neglected such as caring for children or frail elderly as well as economic activities from wealth, consumption as well as paying taxes to finance public expenditure. The approach of "generational accounting" is also narrow, focusing on public expenditure, social insurance contributions and only some types of taxes, but not dealing with private, especially intrafamily transfers. In economic terms, a comprehensive approach is needed regarding the effect of institutions and measures on the economic situation of cohorts. The role of investment in human capital is mentioned as a decisive factor for productivity in a country. Further education and retraining of older workers is one important element. An integrative approach dealing with the different fields of activities is needed when analyzing the intergenerational as well as the intragenerational distribution. This requires an elaborated and differentiated reporting of distributional effects. This important precondition, however, does not exist in Germany.

Towards a history of old age in Australia.

This paper is offered as an addition to the small existing body of research on the history of old age in Australia. It considers the experiences of a cohort of early settlers in a Victorian country district as they grew old in their community. It finds that while the experience and even the definition of old age varied with class, gender and circumstance, most ageing people in the Colac area remained more engaged with both the community and family than more general studies have suggested.