Nonfamily Experience and Receipt of Personal Care in a Rapidly Changing Context

Scholars and policy makers have expressed concern that social and economic changes occurring throughout Asia are threatening the well-being of older adults by undercutting their systems of family support. Using a sample of 1,654 men and women aged 45 and older from the Chitwan Valley Family Study in Nepal, we evaluated the relationship between individuals' nonfamily experiences, such as education, travel, and nonfamily living, and their likelihood of receiving personal care in older adulthood. Overall, we found that among individuals in poor health, those who had received more education, traveled to the capital city, or lived away from their families were less likely to have received personal care in the previous two weeks than adults who had not had these experiences. Our findings provide evidence that although familial connections remain strong in Nepal, experiences in new nonfamily social contexts are tied to lower levels of care receipt.