Attitudes of elderly persons towards receiving financial support from adult children

Although many studies of attitudes regarding filial obligations have found consensual agreement that adult children should provide the necessary help to their elderly parents, in most studies, filial obligations have been examined through the eyes of the younger generation, while attitudes and beliefs from the perspective of the elderly themselves have rarely been examined. The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes of Israeli Jewish elderly persons towards financial assistance received from adult children, in general, and to investigate the variables that may impact these attitudes. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 153 respondents aged 60 and over, residing in the southern region of the country. The results revealed that the majority believed that adult children should provide financial support for their elderly parents, in particular when their parents have insufficient income for their needs and whenever their children can afford it. Regression analyses showed that attitudes supporting the provision of financial support to adult children, gender, ethnic decent, and number of daughters have been found significant predictors of attitudes toward filial obligations to provide financial support for elderly parents. The policy implications of these findings are discussed and further avenues of research are suggested.