Neighbour Responsibilities as Informal Care in Malaysia

Abstract

This article aims to highlight the neighbour responsibilities to take care and always accompany the elderlies after the death of their spouse or after their children have left home. Some research in rural areas found that more children are migrating to the city to look for jobs, to continue their studies, or to follow their husband or wife following their marriage. This situation has made the elderlies suffer from loneliness and experience the empty nest syndrome. However, neighbours always come and help the elderlies to overcome their loneliness. Their neighbours play an important role in helping and accompanying them. Often, in the rural community have highlighted that the attitudes of neighbours are have helped the elderlies to overcome their loneliness and prevented them from experiencing the grief and the empty nest syndrome. This study involves elderlies aged 60 years and older in the rural areas of Pahang, the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia. The research was conducted using a purposive sampling technique. The study result showed that elderlies in the rural areas received attention from neighbours after their children migrated to the city. Neighbours play the role of replacing the children. Neighbours always come to give social support to the elderlies. Support from the neighbours has also contributed to maintain the quality of life of the elderlies in rural areas. This study contributes to the new discovery of the new informal care of the neighbours in the caring of the elderlies in the rural areas.