Attitudes towards older adults among job seekers: A gender comparison

Life expectancy in Israel as in the rest of the world is constantly increasing. In Israel, from 1955 to 2016, the growth rate of those aged 65+ was twice that of the general population. The dependency ratio of the elderly, is the ratio of the number of 65+ people in the population to the number of people of working age, has doubled since 1960. According to statistical forecasts, by 2035 the ratio obtained in 1960 will continue to increase to almost three times (Brodsky, Schnor and Beer, 2017 ).

As people are getting older over longer periods of time, they need more help and care than ever before (Coffey et al., 2014). This rising demand increases the need for elderly nursing care services which is in conflict with the number of available workers in that field. In addition, there is a lack of interest when it comes to working with the elderly (Zilsberg, Topaz, & Band-Wintershtein, 2014). Nevertheless, jobseeker population have the highest potential to blend in this line of work and help meet the growing demands. Therefore, the present study focused on job seekers who were offered to work as caregivers for old people by the employment service. The study looked at the factors that explain attitudes toward older people in this population. In addition, a comparison was made between women and men and those who accepted the offer to work as caregivers for old people and those who refused the offer to work as caregivers for old people. The home care offered to these job seekers is based on the "Nursing Insurance Law" that allows personal care for elderly people who need help with daily routines as well as home supervision care through specialized caregivers (National Insurance Institute, 2016).

The study population included applicants for the Employment Service who were offered the opportunity to work as caregivers for older people in the six months preceding the survey. The sample of the research population is a sample representing the general population of Israel. The study population presented in this work and on which a secondary analysis of the data numbered 1,026 applied to the employment service which, after answering the survey, was divided into two groups: those who accepted the offer to work as caregivers for old people and those who refused the offer to work as caregivers for old people. Structured questionnaires were used to assess attitudes toward older people, attitudes toward caregiver occupation, and aging anxiety (Korzim, Goren, and Niran, 2002; Lynch, 2000; Reuben (et al., 1998) Experience in caring for older people was assessed through one question (Eshbaugh et al., 2010). Information on socio-demographic variables was also collected.

The findings of the study produced several significant results. It has been found that job seekers who believe that higher mental and physical skills are needed to care for older people have more positive attitudes towards older people. The more job seekers experience old-fashioned anxiety, the more negative attitudes they have toward old people. As for gender, it was found that women have more experience in caring for older people and are more anxious regarding old age than men. Compared to those who accepted the proposal to work with old people and those who refused, it was found that those who favorably accepted the proposal to work with older people had more positive attitudes toward older people than those who refused. Also, old-fashioned anxiety, attitudes that reduce caregiver importance, mental and physical skills required for caregiver work explained 14% of the variance of attitudes toward older people.

This study first examined the relationship between experience in the care of old people, attitudes towards the profession of caregivers and old-age anxiety and attitudes towards old people among job seekers who were offered to care for old people, comparing men and women based on gender theory and thus enriching the theoretical and research body of knowledge in this matter. In addition, comparing women and men allows for a deeper understanding of the differences between women and men regarding their attitudes towards older people. The findings of the study may help build intervention programs to address the different needs of people caring for older people according to gender affiliation. In addition, the findings of the study may help to outline intervention programs that will help motivate job seekers to integrate into home care work for older people, with a better understanding of the factors that explain their attitudes about older people.