Abstract
The improvement of the health care system has the impact of increasing the population of the elderly in Indonesia. Even though Indonesia still has a small percentage of elderly, slowly but surely this population will increase. The population of the elderly in Indonesia was approximately 18.4 million in 2005, and is expect to increase to 32 million in 2020 or 12% of the total population [1, 16]. Within that population, the percentage of elderly women is greater than that for men. and the life expectancy of women is also higher than men. This research study aims to explore the need for services amongst elderly Indonesians especially women that are based on Indonesian ethnic culture. A qualitative study with focus group discussions involved six elderly women and their families. Literature review and observations have been performed in the different ethnic groups. The result has shown that the elderly are not provided with the proper services and respect, as was formerly the case, especially in the eastern region. They face a range of problems ranging from physical and psychological to social, spiritual and economical. Especially amongst women, they have specific needs as most of the elderly women stay at home and tend to spend their time on spiritual activities such as praying rather than physical and social activities because there is no service provision to ensure their safety and satisfaction. This study recommends that women elderly in Indonesia need more services from their families, government and community based on their values and culture. All parties have to aware of this situation and use the results of this study as a basic template for further appropriate intervention and research.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 141-145 |
Journal | American Journal of Nursing Science |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 8 Feb 2017 |
Keywords
- Indonesian Elderly Services, The Needs of Elderly Women, Social, Cultural Values