Patterns of family support and the quality of life of the elderly

This study addresses the issue of the quality of life of the Korean elderly in the present day by looking at the relationship between the patterns of support exchange across generations and the subjective well-being of the elderly as measured by the overall life satisfaction index. Relying on equity or exchange theory, we formulated the following hypotheses: in contrast to the elderly who only receive, the elderly who both give and receive are more satisfied with life; while the elderly, who only give or the elderly, who do not exchange any support with their children, are less satisfied. The multiple regression analysis based on the Survey of Living Environment and the Quality of Life of the Korean Elderly in 1997 (n = 1056) appears to support these hypotheses as a whole. The findings suggest that the elderly as well as the younger generations put more value on two-way intergenerational relations based on mutual care and assistance, rather than simply following the traditional norm of filial piety.