Care for the elderly in Islamic culture

In Islam, care for those who lose the ability to care for themselves is mainly carried out by the immediate family and is considered a religious duty. It is the responsibility of children to take care of their parents when they are old or ill, because gratitude to parents is linked with gratitude to Allah (God).  Failure in either of these is a major failurein one's religious duties. However, immigration to Western societies can remove access to extended family members on whom the elderly previously relied for support (Fazil et al, 2002). Thus increasing numbers of elderly Muslims in the UK may well look to the social and health-care services, including residential homes, to replace this support.

Cultural considerations for care providers

To gain the trust of the elderly and their families, care service providers need to understand and cater for some important Muslim practices, including those associated with: prayer duties, modesty, gender issues and bodily contact, fasting at Ramadan, and dietary restrictions and preferences. In addition, care providers should be aware of the timing of two important Muslim holidays:Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Care for Muslim patients by people of the opposite sex is discouraged since Islam prohibits any physical contact between men and women unless they are closely related (Simister and Yunis, 1999). One clinical implication is that when someone of the same sex is not available, patients can reject treatment or care services and this can have a negative effect on health outcome. If a same-gender carer is not available, the spouse should be present. Some Muslims even prefer to avoid shaking hands with individuals of the opposite gender. Respecting these rules can help them relate more openly and be more accepting of care.