Welfare and the Needs of the Old People in Croatian Rural Districts

The results discussed in this article were obtained from an investigation carried out by the Institute for Social Activity of Croatia in Zagreb in co-operation with the U. S. Ministry of Health, Education and Social Welfare (project from the programme OL-480), and the Yugoslav Bureau for Technical Aid as a part of the comparative cross-national studies on ageing which were made in the United States, Great Britain, Denmark, Poland, Israel, India and Yugoslavia. Since in contrast to the investigations in other countries the Yugoslav investigation was carried out exclusively in rural districts, certain modifications had to be made. The investigation was designed to supply information about the rural population in the age group c\u27f 65 and more on the following: health protection, social welfare, family and economic communities, activity, social life and leisure, housing conditions, diet and cluthing, financial position, the position of old persons within the family. The sample covered 1,563 persons (41.6% male, 58.4% female) of an average age of 72.4. Of the total number of persons covered by the enquiry 20.3% was not active, 23.2% was active in housework, 25.9% in farm work, and 30.6% in both farm work and housework. There are considerably more households with members aged over 65 than households with members below 65. There is also a considerable number of what are called single and two-member households. The considerable losses of young people during the last war, the continued economic migration, the country’s rapid industrialization, and the inadequate economic and social incentives offered by farm work are among the main reasons why there are now chiefly old people on private farms. The precarious material situation of old people can be seen from a number of facts. Thus for instance the majority of the population covered by the investigation earn their basic income with farming, while the land in their possession belongs chiefly to the category of minor farms. Old people find it very difficult to cultivate their land, or do not cultivate it at all, especially if they live alone. The biggest material problem of old people in rural districts is how to obtain ready money. The heaviest financial burden are taxes, which have to be paid according to the size of land rather than according to the actually cultivated area of land. The investigation has shown that in a better material position are old people who live in mixed households, i. e. in households in which some of the members earn an additional income from work outside the farm. In the best material position appear to be old people who live in the country together with their children or if their children live in the vicinity, because this enables the two generations to help each other in various ways. Most unfavourable is the position of bachelors and widowers without children. It is these who primarily need organized assistance and social care. The information collected during the investigation also shows a great isolation of old peasants from social welfare and current socio-cultural developments, while confirming their dependence on the family because this alone has been left to them. The investigation also showed a bad health condition of this part of the country\u27s population which derives chiefly from serious chronic diseases and considerable difficulties in obtaining medical care. The information obtained by the investigation is expected to help in the efforts to provide old-age pensions for this category of Yugoslav citizens. A number of proposals have already been put forward which are designed to ensure that the benefits of the country’s social welfare system also become available to needy persons in rural districts