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Paper short abstract

The principle of intergenerational indebtedness undermines the authority of elderly parents, placing them in a position of dependence on their children and exposing them to financial, health and social vulnerability.

Paper long abstract

The first part of this paper examines the living conditions of old people in terms of their position as heads of households. The oldest member of the household is usually described as the head, without taking account of his or her economic status or authority within the household. But the elderly experience a drop in their incomes. They are supplanted as the principal contributors to the household economy by their juniors, who begin to take decisions for them. This is particularly true for elderly women. The second part of the paper starts from observed differences between the positions of men and of women in the household, and aims to show that elderly women are more vulnerable than men in terms of their access to medical care. They tend to be older, and their households have lower incomes, receive lower levels of remittances and have fewer helpers than those of men .

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