5 Elder Care Lessons From Arab Traditions

Arab culture is nurturing such a respect for elders. They’re raised to see elders as key figures in their families, and when it comes to the time when they need to take care of them, they don’t see it as a burden.

They see elder care as a big responsibility. It’s tied to honour, faith, and heritage. In the Arab world, it’s pretty common to see grandparents living in the same household with younger generations. Arab people love to pass wisdom, stories, and traditions from one generation to another.

In the United States, elder care is rarely done by the younger generation because of many different factors. Pressure of work, geography, modern lifestyle, and many others have a big impact on families to turn to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Arab American families have a constant dilemma, because they want to live according to their culture, but that is hard, sometimes even impossible, to combine with the realities of life in America. Arab traditions can give anyone valuable lessons for how all communities look at aging and elder care.

Lesson 1: Elders Are Identity Keepers

In most Arab families, elders are walking encyclopedias of culture. Elders keep language, recipes, music, and oral histories. The grandmother may be the one to keep spoken Arabic alive in a U.S. household. The grandfather may pass on stories about family history or migration.

When older people are seen as identity guardians, it's not only the family's responsibility to care for them. That’s also the way of keeping culture alive for the younger generation.

Lesson 2: Multigenerational Homes Provide Assistance

Entire families living in the same home is something pretty common in Arab families.

It’s beautiful how grandparents are close to their children and grandchildren, and that also creates a space for in-house childcare, emotional support, and cultural passing for the younger generation.

Approx. 27% of Arab American households are multigenerational; higher than the U.S. national average of 18%. - Pew Research Center

This family setup helps families to manage costs and keep grandparents from being alone or isolated.

Lesson 3: Community Is an Extension of Family

Families are not the only ones in Arab culture that care for elders. Neighbors, religious communities, and social organizations are all active parts of that care. Mosques will make meal delivery for seniors, while cultural groups provide venues where elders can socialize and remain engaged. It’s a wonderful community support that American institutions (unfortunately) tend to neglect. Nursing homes can provide high-quality medical care, but sometimes elders feel isolated from cultural life.

When Nursing Homes Become Necessary

It is really special how Arab families function and take care of each other, but sometimes, with the best wishes and love, it isn‘t enough. It may not always be possible to look after an older member of the family at home for numerous Arab American families. Work schedules, health needs, and physical limitations can contribute to seeking professional care, which is the only option.

There are many nursing homes that provide all the care and support that families and residents expect, but that is not always the case. Stories of neglect and unsanitary conditions in nursing homes are important to hear and research because families need to know that institutional care carries risks.

If an injury in a nursing home happens, families must pursue compensation for nursing home injuries as a way of holding the facility responsible and ensuring that elders get justice.

Another great benefit is that this way you’re fighting for all the other residents as well, because the facility will be forced to make changes for the better or be penalized even more severely.

Lesson 4: Emotional Care Is As Important As Physical Care

Arab traditions teach that caring for older people is not all about meeting medical needs.

It’s even more about comforting them emotionally, being there for them, and letting them know that they are not alone. Feeling lonely is seen as suffering, and families make big efforts to ensure elders know that they have their back.

One way of including elders in everyday life is involving them in food choices, celebrations, and festivities. Situation and tradition in the United States are drastically different.

Nearly one in four U.S. nursing home residents is depressed. - CDC, 2021

Families who can’t provide daily care can take an example from Arab culture, and make sure they’re at least visiting relatives regularly, arranging video calls, or involving elders in family decision-making.

Lesson 5: Accountability Is Part of Honor

In Arab culture, failing to provide respectful care and protection is something that brings shame. Accountability is a matter of honor for the Arab family. Americans can also learn from that. The lesson is that families need to be more proactive in monitoring elder care.

Whether living at home, in assisted living, or in nursing homes, families can advocate for them, monitor medical treatment, and report irregularities as soon as they notice them.

Conclusion

Arab American families are giving their best to keep a balance between tradition and modern life. They’re trying to help and support their elders in multigenerational homes, and those who decide to rely on nursing homes are doing so only in case of necessity. The highest goal for them is letting elders know that they are loved, respected, and involved in family life.