Effects Of Household Composition On The Welfare Of Elderly Persons In Adukrom In The Akwapim North District

ABSTRACT

The population of persons aged 60 years and above has been increasing over the years and thus has become necessary to understand the living arrangements of the elderly population and develop policies to address challenges elderly persons face in the face the breakdown in the traditional family system of living arrangement due to rapid modernization and urbanization. This study investigates the relationship between household composition and welfare of elderly persons in Adukrom. The modernisation theory was used to explain the interrelationship between household composition and welfare of elderly persons. Using a cross-sectional approach which employed mix-methods for data collection and analysis, this study has provided clarification and added to existing documentation on household composition and its interrelation with welfare of elderly persons.

The study finds that although modernisation and urbanisation have impacted on the foundation of the traditional African extended family set up, and the young and abled generation has moved to more urban and industrialized centres in search of job opportunities, the extended family set-up continues to be the dominant living arrangement and support for elderly persons in Adukrom; however, in the absence of monthly allowance, and remittances, elderly persons have been persistently active in the construction of their own livelihoods through self-income generating activities in order to combat poverty.

Another major finding is that although all respondents indicated the access to National Health Insurance, a greater proportion worked in the informal sector and as such did not have social security in terms of pensions; consequently resort to social networks in the community for support. There also exists lack of support by the government in the provision of other complementary services for elderly persons.

The results show that 3 out of every 4 of elderly persons in the study area were not aware of any policy. In addition government officials lacked adequate knowledge and information of policies for elderly persons and neither had they been trained on programmes relating to elderly persons to help address their needs.

Whilst the study concludes that the perceived improvement in welfare of elderly persons emanates from the support they enjoy from their children, spouses, and other relative and non-relatives, elderly persons that report of low level of satisfaction were from household where members were not gainfully employed and also from households where the income generated by the family was very small and inadequate to address their needs.

Future programmes need to implore Government and other stakeholders to ensure the implementation of the Ageing Policy at all levels and also formulate policies and programmes that would ensure employment for the youth. This would provide them with financial security to enable them take care of their aged parents and consequently ensure their welfare. In addition, as majority of elderly persons age without a formal social security and tend to get poorer in old age, government and other stakeholders should promote programmes that seek to provide social security for persons who are working in the informal sectors to curb old age poverty.