Notions of health, well-being and ageing under intergenerational co-residence

Elderly living under the same roof with their married children is not strange to Filipino family, particularly, the Ilocano families. Yet, studies in understanding the health and well-being of the elderly in the context of intergenerational co residence is scant. Hence, this study examined how the elderly\u27s notion of health and well-being is influenced by their aging experiences as complexed by intergenerational co-residence. The study utilized qualitative in depth interviews to purposively chosen elderly (5 men and 5 women) from the municipality of Bacnotan, La Union. The study revealed that the elderly\u27s notion of health and well-being is the confluence of the elderly\u27s aging-related experiences, intergenerational coresidence and family dynamics. The physical and mental aspect of aging has domino effect on the economic security and social relations of the elderly. This is truer within the context of the intergenerational co-residence where needs and demands are high and relationships are very vulnerable. Intergenerational co-residence positioned the elderly into a series of instrumental, economic and emotional exchanges. These exchanges are reciprocal in nature in that the elderly is both at the benefiting and losing end. Intergenerational co-residence creates a situation where elderly are forced to extend instrumental support, burdened by household labor, competing demand for limited resources, renewed dependency of co-residents, and conflicts which presses the elderly\u27s relationship with their co-residents. On the other hand, intergenerational co-residence facilitates the ability of the elderly in adapting to the ageing process as it promotes the provision of instrumental support like household chores and health care and emotional support such as companionship and security in old age