PENJAGAAN TIDAK FORMAL WARGA TUA: ANTARA TANGGUNGJAWAB DAN BEBAN (Informal Care of Old Folks: Between Responsibility and Burden

Abstract

Peningkatan jangka hayat penduduk di Malaysia menyebabkan berlakunya peningkatan pada jumlah populasi warga tua. Akibat daripada peningkatan warga tua ini menyebabkan permintaan terhadap penjagaan tidak formal turut meningkat. Isu berkaitan penjagaan tidak formal kurang diketengahkan kerana ia berlaku dalam lingkungan domestik iaitu dijaga oleh ahli keluarga terdekat dan dianggap bersifat peribadi. Selain menjalankan tanggungjawab harian, penjaga perlu memikul tanggungjawab menjaga warga tua. Tambahan pula, menjaga warga tua yang sakit dan uzur bagi tempoh masa yang lama boleh membebankan penjaga. Dalam hal ini, timbul persoalan adakah penjaga menganggap ia sebagai tanggungjawab atau beban?. Kertas kerja ini membincangkan dilema yang dihadapi oleh penjaga tidak formal dalam melaksanakan tanggungjawab penjagaan. Kajian ini telah dijalankan di daerah Besut, Terengganu dalam kalangan 12 orang informan yang dipilih melalui pensampelan snowball. Secara umumnya, kajian ini mendapati, menjaga warga tua bagi tempoh masa yang lama menyebabkan penjaga berada dalam keadaan dilema antara tanggungjawab dan dalam masa yang sama rasa terbeban akan tanggungjawab tersebut. Kesimpulannya, dilema antara tanggungjawab dan beban yang terpaksa dipikul oleh penjaga boleh memberi implikasi negatif kepada penjaga mahupun warga tua sebagai penerima jagaan.

Kata kunci: Penjagaan tidak formal, warga tua, penjaga tak formal, beban, jangka hayat

(Informal Care of Old Folks: Between Responsibility and Burden)

The rise of folk’s life span in Malaysia has caused the growing amount of old folk’s population. The effect of the rise of old folk’s life span has made the demand towards the informal supervision increasing. This issue that relates to the informal care is not much highlighted because it happens in the domestic circle which is taken care by family members and it is assumed as personal matters. Instead of undergoing the daily responsibility, the caretaker is responsible to take care of old folk. In addition,  taking care of sick and senile old folk for a long period can burden the caretaker. In this case, as the issue appears, do the caretaker assume it as a responsibility or burden?. Therefore, this paperwork discussed on the dilemma encountered by informal caretaker in performing the care responsibility. This study was conducted among 12 selected informants through snowball sampling in Besut district, Terengganu. Generally, this study found out that taking care of old folk for a long period has caused the caretaker in the condition of dilemma or responsibility and at the same time, the caretaker felt burdened towards the responsibility. In conclusion, the dilemma between responsibility and burden that is necessarily borne by the caretaker can provide the negative implication not only for the caretaker but also for the old folk as a care recepient.

Keywords: Informal care, old folks, informal caretaker, burden, life span