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Woes of the Elderly: The Lived Experiences of Some Selected Older Adults in Ajumako in the Central Region of Ghana

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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 characterize the aged. As a result, caring for older adults has become a burden to family members who always provide social care to these older adults. Due to this, older persons are left alone to fend for themselves. Some also depend on the assistance of benevolent sympathisers for survival. These among others necessitated the need for this study to be conducted to find out the challenges of these older adults in Ajumako. A qualitative research approach with the phenomenological design was employed for the study. The study used the purposive sampling technique to select a sample size of twelve participants who are aged 65 years and above in Ajumako. The researcher adopted one- on- one interview, observation guide and focus group discussion as instruments for gathering data. The study revealed that most of the older persons in Ajumako lived in uncompleted buildings and unhygienic accommodations and environment. It was also revealed that some of the older adults also faced loneliness and economic hardships. It was recommended that there should be a separate ministry created by the government solely to address the myriad challenges faced by older adults in Ghana. The Ajumako-Enyan District Assembly should also create a fund that is “Aged Fund” to support the older adults. This dream could be realized by deducting a 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 older adults face in the district.
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In-Text Citation: (Nkansah, Adu & Kyei 2019)
To Cite this Article: Nkansah, J. O., Adu, I. N., Kyei, S. (2019). Woes of the Elderly: The Lived Experiences of Some Selected Older Adults in Ajumako in the Central Region of Ghana. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(11), 468-482.