Abstract
As population aging proceeds around the world, advanced nations have confronted the problem of what to do with frail older people— those disabled enough by physical or mental deficiencies that they need assistance to maintain anything like normal life. The relatively small numbers of people who lived long enough to need such assistance used to be cared for by their children—usually daughters or daughters-in-law—but social changes have meant fewer children, more women working, and new attitudes. The latter might be called liberation from traditional strictures or weakening of a sense of responsibility, but the effect is the same: although families still provide most of the care for frail older people in all countries, governments shoulder more of the burden than earlier.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Bibliography
Pew Research Center. 2014. “Attitudes about Aging: A Global Perspective.” Accessed February 2, 2014.
Soumushou toukei kyoku. Nihon toukei nenkan. 2011. Accessed July 12, 2012. http://www.stat.go.jp/data/nenkan/index1.htm.
Statistics Norway. 2012. “Population.” Accessed July 12, 2012. http://www.ssb.no/english.
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2014 Campbell, Edvardsen, Midford, Saito
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Campbell, J.C., Edvardsen, U. (2014). Introduction. In: Campbell, J.C., Edvardsen, U., Midford, P., Saito, Y. (eds) Eldercare Policies in Japan and Scandinavia. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137402639_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137402639_1
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-68036-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-40263-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)