Dependency as Status: Older Adults’ Presentations of Self as Recipients of Care

Abstract

We draw on Bourdieu’s and Goffman’s theories to elaborate the novel idea of dependency as status in old age, a concept that emerged from our Grounded Theory study conducted with 46 older adults (26 women and 20 men) living in and around Dublin, Ireland. The research participants’ portrayals of (in)dependence and assistance reflected their access to and use of social and symbolic (age) capital. Older adults derived social capital from supportive family relations or trusting relationships with formal care providers, and deployed such capital to signal their status as “cared for” individuals. Age capital—constructions of deservingness drawing on advanced age, age-related disabilities, and lifelong contributions—was used by older adults to frame and justify acceptance of help. We argue that where older adults are able to draw on age capital or social capital, they can signal their position as “cared for” individuals who display and acknowledge their dependency, and transform it into a marker of status. Conversely, some participants were keen to present themselves as independent. These participants made downward comparisons with others whom they saw as “worse off” or, in their view, as insufficiently responsible for their own health and well-being. In the contemporary Western frame, dependency is to be avoided at all costs, but we argue that some older people are able to embrace dependency in a way that reflects and demonstrates their status and agency. Care professionals and members of informal networks can make a significant difference to older persons’ acceptance of help, care, and support by offering services in a manner that affirms the care recipients’ worth and agency.

Social Contact and Belonging Among Older People Receiving Home Care Nursing

“…14 Old age and the need for help should be valued by society. 22 Our findings also showed that several of the older persons had moved from their previous homes into flats, and several of them stated that they continued to consider their previous housing arrangement as their home. The move to a new residence may be necessary due to health problems.…”

“…14 Healthcare professionals, such as home care nurses, should offer their services in a way that confirm the worth and eligibility for assistance of an older person. 19,22 In our study, some older persons expressed that receiving the help they needed was challenging, and communicated a type of resignation regarding organizational structures in the healthcare system. In another study, older persons expressed that the availability of information regarding help and access to resources affected their sense of belonging.…”

“…A previous study showed that the presence of relatives or healthcare professionals who respect the dependency and needs for care of older persons may promote feelings of being valued and further on a status of being cared for. 22 Moreover, self-awareness of that intrinsic value may be at the core of the sense of belonging in older persons. 5 This may also depend on the political stance of the society with regard to old age.…”

Prevalence of Depression Among Older Adults Visiting the Primary Healthcare Centers in Jizan City, Saudi Arabia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

“…In this study, individuals who require assistance from others to perform their daily tasks are considered dependent. From a medical perspective, we understand the dependency of older adults as a state of chronic or temporary functional disability that leads to the inability to do tasks that could be previously performed alone [45,46]. One significant independent risk factor for depression in this study was dependency.…”

Learning from Elders about Autonomy, Meaningfulness, and Relationships

“…Old age is one such time in life, as general wear and tear, greater susceptibility to disease, and decreased regenerative capability lead to an accumulation of deficits, increasing the likelihood of dependence. In medical contexts, dependency is considered an outcome of temporary or chronic functional disability, which necessitates reliance on others to perform tasks that could previously be performed alone (Timonen and Lolich 2020). There is considerable overlap between concepts of dependence, disability, and frailty; however, in recent years researchers have favored the conceptualization of frailty to describe the state in which independence is most compromised.…”