Community versus family support in caregiving of older adults: implications for social work practitioners in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nigeria is home to the highest number of older adults in Africa. The country will continue to experience an upward trend in the size of this sub-population, yet there are limited government measures to address their well-being. Studies have shown that families and communities are predominant sources of support in caregiving for older adults in Nigeria. However, there seems to be a few studies that ascertain the extent to which these support systems provide support to older adults, especially in the South-East Nigeria. This study, therefore, will attempt to fill this significant gap because access to justice, a high standard of living, quality of life, and well-being of all citizens including older adults constitute a crucial point in the African Union and the 2030 global agenda. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were used to collect data from older adults and their caregivers (N = 40). The data were analysed thematically. Most of the support in caregiving for older adults is filial with minimal support from community members. Thus, we advocate for welfare policies that will augment the filial efforts in supporting older adults. Social workers also should facilitate the implementation of the policies and equally help to strengthen supportive relationships among community members.