Elderly People among the Patra Ethnic Group in Bangladesh : A Qualitative Study

1.Introduction 2.Objectives of the Study 3.Methodology 4.Findings 5.Nature of Problems 6.Problem Coping Mechanism 7.Conclusion and RecommendationAging is a life span phenomenon in which biological and cultural factors play an important role. Ethnic backgrounds also affect the on the attitudes of older people in selecting their mechanism in dealing with the changes and problems in their lives. Different studies suggest that culture and ethnicity are central to older people\u27s exclusion and poverty. Indigenous elders are more likely to experience discrimination, language barriers and difficulty in obtaining needed social services. Bangladesh is a culturally diverse country and many years ago with more than 45 ethnic communities lived in different parts of the country. The Patra community is one of them living in Sylhet region of Bangladesh. Based on a qualitative investigation this article presents a comprehensive picture of the aging situation among the Patra community in Bangladesh. The study found that the elderly people are respected and cared by their family members but due to poverty, traditional support system is under risk. On the other hand, they have poor or no access to government social safety nets, medical and other services mainly due to their vulnerable status in the society. Therefore, the elderly people in the Patra community are in a double-disadvantaged situation