A study of elderly neglect in Winneba

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of the elderly particularly in Ghana has become a major concern since the number of aged population is increasing in societies which are least prepared for the challenges that often characterise the aged. As a result, caring for the elderly has become a burden to family members especially, caregivers. Due to this, most elderly persons are left alone to fend for themselves. Some also depend on the assistance of voluntary caregivers for survival. These among others necessitated the need for a study to be conducted into the incidence of elderly neglect in Winneba. The study sought to examine the challenges the neglected elderly face in Winneba, examine the causes of elderly neglect and to find out how the neglected elderly cope with life in Winneba. A qualitative research approach with phenomenological design was employed for the study. The study used the purposive sampling technique to select a sample size of eighteen participants which comprised twelve elderly persons aged 65 years and above and six caregivers who provided care to these elderly in Winneba. The researcher adopted unstructured or one- on- one interview and focus group discussion as instruments for gathering data. In this study, the data was read and reread which helped in the interpretation and description of emerging themes and patterns. The study revealed that, most of the neglected elderly in Winneba lived in the uncompleted buildings and unhygienic accommodations. Most of them have not been to school before and thus affected their employment opportunities and income levels as they grow old. The neglected elderly received most of their support from voluntary caregivers. Some of them continued resort to begging and others engage in labour intensive occupation such as fetching of firewood in order to make ends meet. It was recommended that there should be a separate ministry created by the government solely to address the myriad challenges faced by the elderly in Ghana. Government should also create a fund that is “Aged Fund” to support the aged, who are vulnerable to neglect. This dream could be realized by deducting certain percentage of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) into that fund. If possible, there should be a policy to establish social centers in each district in Ghana by the government with support from other interest groups such as HelpAge Ghana to address the challenges the elderly face.