Growing Old in Egypt

The Egyptian society is aging. Families have to find solutions for care-dependent older persons, while at the same time, social changes threaten the traditional system of family care. The society has to adapt to this previously unknown situation and to develop new strategies for meeting the needs of its older members. Based on eight years of research, this book investigates the cultural shifts necessitated by these developments. It introduces the reader to the nursing homes and homecare services that are currently available in Egypt's bigger cities. It describes how younger persons face the challenges of the new profession of care-giving and how recipients adapt in different ways to the situation of receiving care by non-family members. Besides examining culturally rooted attitudes, care needs and their related factors are analyzed in order to identify requirements for the future development of professional care in Egypt.