Later Life In Estonia: Satisfaction With Life And Intergenerational Support

Background: In the coming years Estonian society is facing great challenges related to the ageing of the population. In this context the knowledge on how older people cope with their life and on social support networks between generations is of vital importance.Objectives: The aim of the article is to analyse the functioning of networks based on family relations in Estonia. The data is derived from the survey of Estonian population “Estonia 2003” carried out by the family sociologists of the Tallinn University (the sample comprised of 1,558 people aged 15 to 69). From the total sample a group of older respondents (55 to 69 years of age) was separated for the purpose of the current analysis. Results: The data indicates that in spite of some shortages in coping with their daily life, like health complaints and economic constraints, older people still have a positive attitude and are satisfied with various areas of their life in Estonia. Compared to other domains of life, the assessment of economic situation is the lowest: only 37 per cent of respondents were satisfied with it. It is therefore important for the older people to have a job. Employed persons are able to cope better, which also improves their self-esteem and reduces the level of stress. However, many healthy persons (46 per cent) in this age group who are actively employed are afraid that they might be excluded from the working life.Older people are more satisfied with their family life than other age groups in Estonia and we can observe close relationships of mutual support between generations. The majority (92-93 per cent) of people between 55 to 69 years of age are satisfied with their relations with their adult children.