The contribution of women to the care of elderly people in Basque farms: the case of Oiartzun (Guipúzcoa)

Abstract

The degree of ageing of rural populations is very high – even higher than in the case of urban populations. As a consequence, there are increased demands for social care. The small population size of many of the rural localities makes it difficult to provide a proper supply of social services, while remoteness may complicate the access of rural inhabitants to this kind of services. In the case of Basque farms, one must add the scattered character of its settlement pattern, the preference of its inhabitants for keeping their residence at home and the elderly people’s attitude against social services. Grandfather lives in the small village until the end of his days and the women in his family take care of him.