Social Respect, Household Decision, and Dignified Life in Late Ages: A Story of Family Transitions and Generational Shift.

Atul Pandey, Indian Institute of Technology
Alok Ranjan, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur
Isha Sharma, Indian Institute of Technology
Anindita Dey, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur

The significant decline in birth rates in emerging countries is resulting in an increase in the old population. In the last ten years, India's economy and society have seen significant transformations, impacting eldercare. Research indicates that reduced familial support has compelled the elderly to have an unstable existence. This study investigates the impact of economic independence and housing conditions on healthy ageing. The study underscores the necessity of assessing expenditure under wealth quantiles and household size both with and without the presence of senior family members. This research employs the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), Wave-1, conducted from 2017 to 2019. A sample of 72,250 individuals aged over 45 was collected for LASI. The sampled elderly population comprised 31,464 individuals. Result pointed that 2.7% of men and 3.5% of women serve as nominal heads of household. More than fifty per cent of senior males and two-thirds of older women were either illiterate. 20 % females and 50 % males were employed. Merely 13.2% of males and 12.0% of females engaged in social activities. The present generation allocated 17.3% of assets to the prior generation. Conversely, 4.61% of assets were bequeathed from one generation to another.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Longitudinal studies

See extended abstract.