Care for the Aged: A paradigm shift in Contemporary Jukuns Community in Taraba State, Nigeria (original) (raw)
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The study is focused on understanding the broad issues of care and support of the elderly with a view to explaining factors influencing the gaps in their expectations and experiences. This is an empirical attempt with a view to understanding and under-scoring the importance and limitation of the domains of support from core family members (spouses and children) within the available support networks for the elderly. The study utilized primary dataset including quantitative and qualitative data collected in Ijesa communities in South-west, Nigeria. The findings showed that children and spouses ranked highest among sources of support networks rated by the elderly for five patterns of support identified. Logistic regression results showed that individual variables including age, education, family of orientation, and living in same town with children to a large extent determine level of unmet need for support. The study concluded that personal attributes rather than other social variables are important determinants of high level of unmet need for elderly. Keywords: unmet needs, care and support, elderly, Ilesa, Nigeria
Care and Support for the Elderly in Nigeria: A Review
The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 2014
This paper presents a review of works on care and support for the aged which is apt for current academic and public policy discourse in Nigeria. The major focus explicated in this review include the concept of care and support, overview of ageing, features and problems of ageing, nature and sources of care and support, the extent to which the elderly depend on their children/extended family, work and old age. It is evident from the review that the traditional norms on care and support for the elderly in Nigeria are waning. It also showed a dearth of public policy on ageing in Nigeria which perhaps could be attributed in part to the young population structure of the country irrespective of the imminent quantum leap of the elderly population in the near future. Despite the decline in traditional norms, the majority of the elderly continue to depend on their children for care and support. The explanations of the decline are attributed to some theoretical viewpoints, including disengage...
Journal of International Social Research, 2015
Nigeria's population is ageing rapidly. The combination of increasing longevity and the accompanying change in young caregivers' perception of old age and the aged is having negative impact on care and support for the aged. Yet, there is little or no scholarly work in Nigeria to determine how perception of old age affects elderly care and support. This paper examines how the perception of old age affects care and support for the aged among the Esan people of South-South Nigeria. The study relies on qualitative methods namely; in-depth interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). In all 32 IDIs and 12 FGDs were conducted on the aged and their caregivers in both urban and rural areas. The results show that the traditional care and support for the aged in the study area is diminishing due to the way the younger generation perceives old age and the aged. The change in perception of old age and the aged is linked to Western influence which is gradually eroding the traditional/cultural belief where the aged were seen in positive light. There is need for cultural reawakening. This may be carried out within the framework of a creative multi-track social policy intervention that would enable families to continue being the main care providers of the aged.
Care and Support for the Aged among the Esan of South-South Nigeria
The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology
The extended family system is an important ingredient for care and support for the aged in traditional African society. Although this mechanism is gradually being eroded, there is no formal social security apparatus to fill the gap. This study therefore examined the nature of care and support system for the aged and the coping strategies among the Esan of South-South Nigeria through the qualitative method. Esan-Central and Esan-West LGAs were purposely selected for the study and three communities were chosen in each of the LGAs. A total of 32 IDIs and 8 FGDs were conducted among men and women aged 60 years and above. The results are indicative of diminishing extended family ties and increasing social distance between aged parents and adult children. This tendency is associated with age-selective rural-urban migration and emerging nuclear family structure that has impacted negatively on care and support provided for the aged. This change is also linked to social changes towards weste...
CARE FOR THE ELDERLY: A STUDY OF OLDER PERSONS IN LAGOS STATE
Elite Project Writers, 2022
Nigeria has no functional national policy on the care and welfare of older persons. Changing demographics in Nigeria, in addition to the breakdown of the family structure and absence of a social security system, present unique challenges to the elderly in Nigeria. This paper analyzes the current policy lacuna and future issues concerning older persons in Nigeria. It posits that the introduction of neoliberal economic policies created a vacuum in policy formulation and execution in which the older persons are not provided for within the social safety nets in the neoliberal state. This exploratory, qualitative study is based on interviews and narratives of interviews with government officials. The findings of the study show that, in the face of rapid demographic change, one of the major challenges facing Nigeria is developing policies and appointing personnel capable of understanding and responding to the current social priorities and complex needs of an increasingly ageing population in the country. Based on the findings, the study provides recommendations that may assist the government to table policies that will promote the well-being of the elderly in Nigeria. Keyword: Ageing, Family Support, Lagos State, Neoliberal State, Pension Scheme, Policy, Retirement
Care of the Elderly in a Changing Nigerian Society
The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 2014
Traditionally in Africa, there is reciprocal dependency between parents and children. While children depend on their parents in meeting their needs at early stage in life, parents on the other hand, rely on their children for care and support later in life. This exchange of roles underscores the characteristic intergenerational reciprocal obligations obtainable in within the family. This paper is an assessment of how prevailing socio-economic conditions in Nigeria have impacted children’s caregiving obligation to parents in the face of government insensitivity on the welfare of the elderly. It advocates a synergy between informal and formal support systems to ensure adequate social and economic support for a meaningful ageng process in Nigeria.
Quality of Life Among the Elderly in a Peri-Urban Community in Ibadan, Nigeria
2016
The elderly face a broad range of medical, physical, psychological and social needs that require assistance and supervision on a temporary or permanent basis. These needs and health challenges often vary from community to community due to a number of factors. However, such concerns among the elderly in a peri-urban setting, with a mixture of rural and urban characteristics, have not been fully investigated. This study was therefore designed to determine the perceived psycho-social needs, quality of life (QoL) and health-related challenges experienced by the elderly in Apete, a peri-urban area in Ibadan. The study was cross-sectional and employed a two-stage sampling technique to select 600 consenting elderly from the 12 neighbourhood clusters and houses in the community. A semi-structured questionnaire used had questions on socio-demographic characteristics, perception, perceived needs, health-related challenges and typologies of social support received. These were measured using Qo...
HUMANUS DISCOURSE, 2022
In the last few decades, there have been drastic changes in population, particularly in developed countries. The increase of the aged population is more than that of the general population. This study sought to sociologically analyze healthcare-seeking behaviour among the Elderly in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A survey design was adopted. A sample of 383 elderly persons aged 60 years and above was drawn, using multi-stage sampling techniques including simple random, systematic sampling, clustered and purposive sampling techniques in the selection of electoral wards, towns/villages, main streets, houses, households and individuals. Primary and secondary data were utilized in the study. The primary data were generated through the use of questionnaires. The questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively using cross tabulation and chi square tests. The results show that socio-demographic characteristics of the elderly such as level of educational attainment, sex of the elderly and occupation of the elderly have a significant impact on the health care- seeking behaviour of the elderly and most of the elderly visit both orthodox and non-orthodox health care facilities in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria.It is based on this that the paper recommends that there is a need for Government, Non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, mass media, and community/traditional leaders to create awareness programmes on the positive impact on improving healthcare-seeking behaviour among the aged. Increasing the coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme to provide financial protection for elderly persons with lower socioeconomic status will promote the use of appropriate healthcare sources.
Care of the elderly in nigeria: Implications for policy
Cogent Social Sciences
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Issues and Challenges of Ageing in Nigeria
Conference Paper, 2019
Nigeria's aging population is increasing rapidly as those aged 65 years and above make up 3.1% or 5.9 million of the total population of 191 million, which in crude numbers represents an increase of 600,000 during the 5 years 2012-2017. But the high premium placed on old age made people aspire to attain this age in the olden days. This calls for concern, as the aged also called senior citizens are known to be undergoing depreciation physiologically, mentally, and otherwise, in addition to being incapable of doing most chores without assistance. Are they then a burden or asset to the community? This is the crux of this study based on an exploratory qualitative research design. The research assumption for this study includes that, adult children are responsible for the support and care of their elderly parents. The extended family is actively involved in the care of the elderly. Lastly, the plight of the aged is associated with the lack of government policies. The findings include that adult children are responsible for the support and care of their elderly parents and the extended family is actively involved in the care of the aged. Largely, the plight of the aged can be associated with the lack of government policies. The study therefore recommends that proactive government policies for the aged in various areas should address both those who have worked in the public and private sectors and those who are in the private informal sector.