A GENDER MATTER Another area we have looked at is providing an evidence base on how the burden of elderly care is not just on taxpayers but also on families. Indonesia has an extended family system. So, while the elderly do rely on tax-based social assistance, they also depend on care from family members, especially daughters or daughters-in-law. In Indonesia, our female labour force participation rate has been stagnant for years. When we have looked at why, we always talk about the burden of taking care of children, but we forget that as the society is getting older there is going to be this other burden of caring for the elderly family members. Because of our cultural norms, this falls to female children. There can be a triple burden for these female family members, who work, take care of their children, and also the elderly family members. It can lead to burnout. If these women cannot balance all three, they make a sacrifice to take care of parents and children and drop out of the labour market. It is not an ideal situation for the elderly either. Yes, there is an emotional attachment, and they are happy to still be with family, but they can also feel as if they are a burden or being used as nannies for grandchildren. Many still feel lonely, even if they live in the same house with the next generations. WHAT CAN WE DO? If we are looking for solutions, then firstly we need to reform Indonesia’s pension system. The current coverage of the pension system in Indonesia is very low and only covers formal workers. The ILO recognise the need for a contribution system. My work looks at the benchmark of social pension systems in other countries. In Japan, for instance, all people are covered by pensions, to which they contribute while they are working in order to receive money to fulfil their basic needs once they retire. I can see how this model could be a solution, building a system where people retire with an accumulated cushion to fulfil their basic needs. We also need a solution to ease the burden of the next generation, the daughters and the daughters-in-law especially who care for elderly parents and grandparents. In Indonesia we do not have a proper system of nursing homes or retirement communities. We lack the trained professionals as well to work in these homes. When we carried out interviews in the nursing homes we have now, we found very few employees with certifications. There needs to be a wider system of high-quality homes and communities. This will allow families to happily have relatives living there without feelings of guilt or being labelled as neglectful. The elderly can live with a level of independence, build friendships, and have a support system. If we want to build these facilities, we need to make sure they are of a high standard, so that children who put their elderly parents or grandparents in these environments know it to be safe, with certified trained professionals helping to care for them. This makes for a better environment than at home – it removes feelings of guilt. The elderly enjoy better social conditions, better mental health conditions, then it will in turn have a positive effect on the mental health of their family – especially those who would previously have been caregivers. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 45 Dr Qisha Quarina is an Assistant Professor in Economics at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She received her PhD in Economics from Lancaster University Management School in 2017. Qisha is working with the International Labour Organization to analyse elderly care and social protection in Indonesia. trAnsfoRming toMorrow Listen to 'How we Care for the Elderly' on the Transforming Tomorrow podcast https://pod.fo/e/390477
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