By Kunle SHONUGA
EL-Aged Care Foundation, an NGO, has called on Government at all levels to establish adult day care centres in rural communities to improve the well-being of older adults in Nigeria.
the President of the foundation, Mrs Philomena Anyanwu, made the appeal at the sideline of the just concluded 1st Annual African Regional Conference on Ageing in Abuja.
Anyanwu said the need to establish an alternative model of care for older persons residing in rural communities had become important as such would reduce dependency and improve quality of live for older persons.
She stated that some traditional care givers, women and adult children are unable to discharge their responsibilities to their ageing relations due to modernization and rural–urban migration.
“Today the burden on the elderly has enormously increased without corresponding increase in socio-economic resources in the economy.
“Also the traditional safety net of the extended family has become ineffective and unreliable to secure the elderly the old age they desire.
“However, EL-Aged Care foundation works in rural and remote communities with a model that incorporates vertical integration concept where older people in the community converge at a centre to access all services they require.
“The foundation has day care centres where it provides social integration services, medicals, physiotherapy, consultancy services as well as nurses and community health extension workers to care for older persons,’’ she said.
Anyanwu listed challenges expressed by older persons in rural communities to include stigma, ignorance, superstitious believes, trust in traditional healers, use of local herbs and self-medication, drug management and compliance.
She said such challenges have an implication on the well-being of older persons and could be detrimental to their health.
Anyanwu urged Gerontologists and caregivers caring for older persons in rural communities to learn culture competent, the local dialect and body language in order to build trust among the aged in health management.
She therefore called on government, NGOs and stakeholders to intervene in financing elderly healthcare while promoting high standards in Geriatrics care to provide a longer, happier and healthier live for the aged in Nigeria.
